Dylan Larkin's stalled trade request just got more specific, and Minnesota's actual offer is now part of the conversation.
This week, insider Joe Smith reported the Wild's trade chips haven't changed since earlier talks, raising real doubt about whether Detroit ever budges.
Reports suggest that package on the table included prospects Charlie Stramel and Danila Yurov, pieces that apparently didn't move Steve Yzerman and Detroit the first time around.
If that offer didn't work then, insiders are questioning whether it works now, especially with Detroit's front office in transition.
The full breakdown of that rumored package is worth reading in context before drawing conclusions on where things stand.
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Yurov is the more NHL-ready piece of that pair, having played 73 games last season with 12 goals, 15 assists and 27 points at a minus-7 rating.
Stramel is still developing, coming off a 44-point season at Michigan State with 19 goals and 25 assists across 37 games, still a year or more from NHL minutes.
Why Detroit reportedly wants a finished centre, not projects
That's really the core issue. Detroit has reportedly wanted a first-line centre back in return, not a package built around picks and unproven forwards.
Larkin still put up 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points over 74 games last season, exactly the kind of production a futures-heavy return doesn't replace.
His contract runs through 2030-31 at an $8.7 million cap hit, a number that isn't the problem here, the return simply hasn't matched his value yet.
If Minnesota's best offer really hasn't changed since the first rejection, there's no reason to expect a different outcome just because training camp is closer now.
Detroit finished last season 41-31-10 with 92 points, part of a playoff drought that has now stretched a full decade for this franchise.
Whether Minnesota sweetens that package, or another team steps in with a real NHL centre attached, is still the entire ballgame here.
Should the Red Wings accept Minnesota's Stramel and Yurov package for Dylan Larkin?
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