Detroit has now sent representatives to three of Minnesota's last four games, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Pro scout Boyd Gordon was at Monday's 4-2 Wild win over Vegas.
That followed Draper attending Minnesota's game in Buffalo and Horcoff watching the Wild in Tampa Bay. Three different Detroit evaluators in a matter of days is hard to dismiss.
Yurov keeps giving them something to watch. The 22-year-old scored the game-winner against Vegas and has two goals and three points in seven games.
He's also cheap, carrying a $972,500 cap hit. That makes him exactly the kind of young NHL piece Detroit has said it wants in any Larkin deal.
The problem is everything else. Minnesota is tight to the cap, and Larkin's $8,700,000 cap hit runs through 2030-31.
Bill Guerin's cap puzzle stands between the Wild and Dylan Larkin
Moving Ryan Hartman and Yakov Trenin would help, but both reportedly have modified trade protection. Their inclusion can't be assumed.
Jonas Brodin's $6,000,000 cap hit would solve more of the math. Russo has indicated Minnesota isn't particularly motivated to move him, though.
Imagine Larkin in a lineup with Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Quinn Hughes. That's the dream Bill Guerin is weighing against the cost.
Detroit should insist on Yurov plus a real NHL piece. A package built on Charlie Stramel and picks would replace a 30-goal centre with hope, and the Red Wings have had enough of that.
Scouting the same team three times is like walking past the same car lot every day. You haven't bought anything, but everyone knows what you're looking at.
The Red Wings are 1-3-2 after a 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey, while the Wild fell 5-2 in Winnipeg. Detroit hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.
Three scouts don't make a trade. But in Detroit, every press box sighting now feels like part of a countdown.
Should the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin to the Wild for Danila Yurov?
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