Matvei Michkov, Please End the Dylan Larkin Stalemate

Image courtesy of Eric Hartline-Imagn Images By Tony Abbott - 54 minutes ago Another week, another NHLer who wants out . This time it's Matvei Michkov , the young Philadelphia Flyers forward with an incredible offensive toolkit who went seventh overall in a loaded 2023 Draft Class. While he has a 60-point season under his belt and 10 goals in 20 games this year, he hasn't quite unlocked that superstar form in his third NHL campaign. Whether he made an official trade request is disputed , but regardless, Michkov is decidedly a change-of-scenery candidate. The ceiling is immense, but it's hard to see a fit between the Minnesota Wild and Michkov. The Wild haven't been interested in rehabbing underwhelming prospects since David Jiříček , as evidenced by their lack of interest in players like Shane Wright . With this outburst in Philly backing up character concerns that dogged him as a prospect, it's hard to see Guerin rushing to put him in Minnesota's close-knit locker room. But that doesn't mean he can't be useful to the Wild. Minnesota is stuck in a stalemate with the Detroit Red Wings over Dylan Larkin . The Red Wings seem to want more than anyone else is offering, including the Wild's offer, which Elliotte Friedman believes is Danila Yurov and three first-round picks. That sounds like a more-than-reasonable offer, but Detroit clearly isn't biting. Why? Detroit wants a top young player who can provide immediate results. They clearly don't want to wait four years for picks to develop. They want something to show for Larkin now. Matvei Michkov could be that player for Detroit, with a three-way trade as the avenue to break this stalemate. We've yet to see an explosion in three-way trades in the NHL. The ones that have been made are mostly for salary cap retention reasons, a practice the NHL has now closed off . A three-way trade in 2026 needs to give every party something they need, and Minnesota, Detroit, and Philadelphia are well-suited to do just that. We know why the Wild want Larkin. He's a proven, veteran 30-goal scorer who's close with Quinn Hughes , whom Minnesota needs to re-sign to continue their Stanley Cup aspirations. Detroit arguably needs someone like Michkov: a potential superstar whose offensive talents could push Detroit's many good-but-not-great forwards down the depth chart. What does Philly need? In a word: ammo. The Flyers' 5-10-5 start might take them out of playoff contention this year, but they just snapped a five-year streak of not making the postseason. They don't want to do it again, and they've been aggressive in trying to land star talent. Their run at Leo Carlsson failed, but committing $90 million over five years and four first-round picks to land the star center was bold, and they'll likely try again. Getting, say, a protected first-round pick from Detroit, Charlie Stramel, and two firsts from Minnesota would let Philadelphia be an offer-sheet threat without completely depleting their draft capital. Or it could be added to a war chest they use to acquire next week's disgruntled superstar, whoever that may be. Detroit might not see the value in accumulating futures for present value, but Philadelphia seems to be on board. There are many variations possible with this three-team framework. The Red Wings have a disgruntled top prospect of their own in Simon Edvinsson . The Flyers have several big-money wingers like Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett , should Detroit want to ante up for more present-day value from Philly. Hell, maybe Jiříček can get his third fresh start in as many years in Hockeytown. Beyond being entertaining, a three-way trade with the Flyers could solve multiple problems for Minnesota. The first, obviously, is getting a final carrot to dangle in front of Hughes. The second is that it might be a path to landing Larkin without sacrificing the up-and-coming Yurov . Young star Porter Martone will have zero problems producing in the NHL, but it's worth noting that Stramel was Martone's center at Michigan State. Stramel might have a lot more pull in Philadelphia than he did with Detroit. This might be November wishcasting, but damn it, there's too much sense to be made here. Each team has something the other can use. Michkov's potential availability could be the chance to finally end the five-month Dylan Larkin trade speculation news cycle, and the Wild and Red Wings would be smart to investigate it. By Tony Abbott Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form . minnesota wild nhl matvei michkov dylan larkin