NHL Rumor Roundup: What's Next For The Canucks? Can The Wild Afford Dylan Larkin?
It's been a busy off-season thus far for the Vancouver Canucks.
After finishing last in the overall standings, significant changes were made in the front office and behind the bench. Assistant GM Ryan Johnson was promoted to GM, while Manny Malhotra moved up from coaching their AHL affiliate to become their new bench boss.
With a new management and coaching staff in place, the focus will shift toward potential roster moves as the rebuilding process that started under the previous front office continues.
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Speaking of Larkin, he included the Minnesota Wild on his three-team list of preferred trade destinations.
Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic agreed that Larkin would make absolute sense to address the Wild's need for a first-line center. However, they questioned whether the club has sufficient trade capital to meet the Red Wings' asking price.
The Wild already gave up four significant assets, including their 2026 first-round pick, by acquiring Quinn Hughes from Vancouver last December. They still have some solid prospects left, such as forwards Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel, but that might not be enough to land Larkin.
Smith and Russo also indicated the Wild are reluctant to part with center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin. They pointed out how much the club struggled when both players were sidelined during their second-round defeat to the Colorado Avalanche.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 8:52 AM.