Dylan Larkin is still the name for John Hynes, but Minnesota's cleanest path to a blockbuster just got a lot messier.
The Wild spent much of the offseason chasing Larkin as their answer at center. He reportedly wanted Minnesota on his list, and that gave the front office reason to stay patient.
That patience may have cost them. According to the report, Minnesota backed away from other trade talks because it believed a Larkin deal could still come together.
One of those missed chances was Vincent Trocheck. Utah landed him for Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round pick, while also signing Anders Lee.
That matters because the Wild did not just lose those options on timing. They passed on them while keeping their eyes locked on one move.
Now they're sitting in a thinner market at the position they needed to fix most. For a team trying to reshape its top six, that's a hard spot to be in.
Minnesota's backup plan may be gone
The biggest swing in this story came in Detroit. Steve Yzerman stepped away from the Red Wings' general manager role and moved into a senior adviser position.
That change can freeze everything. A new front office usually wants time, and nobody walks in eager to rush a franchise-level call on its captain.
Minnesota reportedly believed there was still a path, even with a package built around future assets that had not satisfied Yzerman. That path now looks far less direct.
Detroit can reset the file, meet with Larkin and decide whether the relationship can still be repaired. If that happens, the Wild may be left waiting on a door that never opens.
The pressure on Minnesota is easy to see. The club still has to replace roughly 150 combined points lost from Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Blake Coleman and Maxim Shabanov can help the forward group, but neither changes the middle of the ice the way Larkin would. That's why this chase has carried so much weight.
Bill Guerin and John Hynes may still get their player. But after passing on other center options, the Wild are no longer driving this story. They're waiting on Detroit.
Did the Wild make a mistake by waiting on Dylan Larkin?
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