If the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin then they need to find his replacement, and one reporter believes that Elias Pettersson would be the perfect fit.
Larkin's trade request surprised many around the league and frustrated even more given that he only wants to really go to three teams (though is reportedly open to more). Ben Kuzma of The Province believes that Elias Pettersson needs a change of scenery and the Red Wings are a perfect fit to replace Larkin. But it's a big gamble given that Pettersson hasn't been the player he once was.
The Red Wings and Larkin have reportedly had some friction over the last little while and it's boiled over to a point where there may be no going back. Larkin wants out and could feel like Detroit's lack of competitiveness is an issue, and controls his destination meanwhile Detroit has full control over his employment and could just simply sit him.
That's no way to treat the captain of your team but desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. Both sides want a resolution but are seemingly unwilling to compromise.
Ben Kuzma names the Red Wings as the perfect landing spot for Elias Pettersson if Larkin leaves
Which is why The Province's Ben Kuzma had an idea that could work for both parties. In his recent article discussing Elias Pettersson being used to fuel a rebuild, he pointed to the Swedish forward and Detroit as a perfect combination:
Pressure is on Yzerman because the Red Wings have missed the playoffs for 10-straight seasons. They're not in a rebuild, but need to re-tool with the expected loss of Larkin. Detroit has approximately US$32 million in salary-cap space and moving Larkin's $8.7 million in annual salary opens possibilities.
One could be to make a pitch for Pettersson.
His massive $11.6 million cap hit and dramatic drop-off in performance have always been trade barriers for suitors.
However, some believe he's capable of returning to 70-80 points and that his staples - playmaking, leading league forwards in blocked shots, and defensively sound - might trigger more offence.
You can't deny Pettersson's struggles as he only has 96 points over his last two seasons but don't forget this is a two-way centre who put up 102 points in 2022-23 and then followed it up with 89 points in 2023-24. He's still clearly got some talent, he's just been part of a Vancouver side that hasn't been very good overall.
But Vancouver has always stated they wanted a centre back for Pettersson and clearly they aren't getting Larkin back. So then it could turn to Detroit needing to give up someone like Max Plante or Dominik Shine.
An $11-million bet on a player two years removed from his last good season is a gamble Yzerman needs to be aware of
Losing Larkin seems more like a 'when' not 'if' situation, so if Pettersson is indeed the answer like Kuzma believes, then Steve Yzerman has to make sure that the player he's getting is the Pettersson of old.
They could actually be in luck considering their heavy connection to Sweden and they could look to names like Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall to help ease the transition; Lidstrom is VP of Hockey Operations and Kronwall is Head of European Player Development.
But that doesn't guarantee that Pettersson is your brand new captain, nor does it mean he replaces Larkin. Yes, they are both similar players who both have a great mix of offence and defence however Larkin's been more consistent.
A couple years removed from where he was, Pettersson needs a change of scenery and with Detroit holding a lot of interesting pieces like Mo Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka; a motivated Pettersson in his prime would round out the lineup nicely.
But you also have to realize that if he isn't the player you envision he could be, then that's going to cost the Red Wings $69.6-million over the next six years combined along with full trade protection so if he fails - you're stuck with him.
Pettersson has to prove that he's able to get back to the level he was once at, and perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needs. But Steve Yzerman and Detroit has to be careful if they give him the opportunity because they can't go back.
Should the Detroit Red Wings try and acquire Elias Pettersson if Dylan Larkin leaves?
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