Red Wings Forward Could Be Great Target for NY Rangers After Trade Request

Does a player from the Detroit Red Wings make sense for the New York Rangers?

Jan 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Detroit Red Wings logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

As the New York Rangers get set for the offseason, the team is going to be trying to improve following two straight years of missing the playoffs. 

The Rangers are in a retool right now, and there have been some major bumps in the road so far. This season, New York came in last place in the Eastern Conference and had the third-worst record in the entire league. The Rangers certainly hold themselves to a higher standard than that, and while they are trying to turn things around, this year was not encouraging. 

As the team heads into the offseason, there is reason to believe that they will be able to improve. New York will have the fifth and the 26th pick overall in the NHL Draft, and the fifth pick should be able to land them an impact player. Furthermore, while draft capital is good, they also have a lot of cap space to pursue help in free agency. Unfortunately, this class isn’t looking to be the strongest, and the Rangers might not want to use that cap space on long-term deals. 

If they don’t like how free agency is shaping up, the team could look toward the trade market to try to improve. Recently, Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin requested a trade, and he could be a really interesting option for New York. 

Larkin Could Be a Strong Option

Mar 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) skates with the puck in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Coming off another year of missing the postseason, Larkin will be seeking to play elsewhere this coming season. The former first-round pick is a very good player and has been a consistent force for the Red Wings up the middle. 

However, at 29 years old, he will be looking for a change of scenery, and the Rangers make a lot of sense. This season, he totaled 67 points with 34 goals and 33 assists. Larkin has been extremely consistent the last few years, totaling over 60 points in five straight campaigns. Furthermore, he has also been able to score at least 30 goals for the last five seasons as well. 

Scoring is a major need for New York after their struggles this year, and Larkin is a player capable of putting the puck in the net. With the future of Vincent Trocheck being uncertain, adding a young center like Larkin makes a lot of sense for the Rangers. It will be interesting to see what the market looks like, but he should be highly sought after this summer.