Why the Red Wings’ Proposed Sabres Blockbuster Still Leaves a No. 1 Center Gap

The proposed seven-player deal between Detroit and Buffalo offers the Red Wings a substantial return, but it leaves their biggest roster question untouched: who would take over as their No. 1 center? Sending Dylan Larkin to the Sabres alongside Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka could bring Detroit young talent and financial flexibility. It would also remove a proven top-line center from a team that has said it wants one back in any Larkin trade.

The idea, posted through PuckGM, is a hypothetical trade pitch, not a completed deal. Detroit would receive defenseman Owen Power and forwards Noah Östlund, Konsta Helenius and Beck Malenstyn. The Sabres would get Larkin, Edvinsson and Sandin-Pellikka.

Detroit would gain youth, but lose its top center

On Detroit’s side, the attraction is easy to see. Power, the first overall pick in 2021, would give the Red Wings another young defenseman. Östlund and Helenius would add forward prospects, while Malenstyn would round out the return. The package spreads its value across several players instead of providing a direct replacement for Larkin.

That distinction matters. Larkin recorded 67 points last season and has played 818 NHL games. Östlund and Helenius have 102 NHL games between them, according to the source. Their potential may appeal to Detroit, but the proposal supplies no evidence that either is ready to handle Larkin’s role immediately. Power plays defense, so his arrival wouldn’t fill the center vacancy.

Detroit’s stated preference has been to receive a No. 1 center in a Larkin trade. That may be a difficult return to secure, but it signals the level of player the club believes it would need to part with its leading center. This package asks the Red Wings to accept youth and a defenseman in place of that established presence. My read: the young talent makes the proposal worth examining, but the lineup cost is immediate and clear.

The contract impasse adds another complication

The pitch also connects Larkin’s situation with Edvinsson’s stalled extension talks. The source reports that Larkin requested a trade in June, has refused to play and was suspended without pay by Detroit. It also says the club and Edvinsson have not agreed on a contract, with a December 1 deadline to sign if he is to play this season.

Edvinsson’s camp has reportedly sought either a two-year agreement or the maximum seven-year term, while Detroit prefers a shorter bridge deal. Those positions describe a wide range of possible outcomes, but the source provides no agreed salary or final contract terms. The uncertainty may make moving Edvinsson seem like a way to avoid a difficult negotiation. Yet interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said he has no interest in trading him.

That stance is a major obstacle for this specific proposal. A trade that depends on Detroit sending out a defenseman its interim general manager says he wants to keep can’t be treated as a straightforward solution. Even if the contract stalemate continues, the club’s stated position points away from including Edvinsson in the deal.

The cap fit doesn’t settle the hockey fit

Financially, the source puts the proposed exchange close to level at the top: Power carries an $8.35 million cap hit, compared with $8.7 million for Larkin. It projects Detroit’s payroll at about $82 million after the move, leaving roughly $22 million in space. Those figures make the idea look workable on paper, but available cap room doesn’t answer who drives the Red Wings’ top line.

For Buffalo, the appeal is more direct. The Sabres would add a center who scored 70 points in 2024-25 and 67 last season, plus a potential top-pairing defenseman in Edvinsson if he signs a long-term contract. They would also receive Sandin-Pellikka. The return would cost Buffalo Power and three forwards, including Östlund and Helenius, whose NHL experience remains limited.

There’s another practical question: Larkin’s trade list. The source says he has named 10 teams he would accept a trade to and has not added Buffalo. Without Buffalo on that list, the Sabres’ interest and Detroit’s willingness to discuss the package would not, by themselves, make this destination workable.

The proposal’s balance depends on what each club values most. Buffalo would get established scoring at center and a young defenseman; Detroit would gain multiple young pieces, Power and substantial projected cap space. But the Red Wings would still need a No. 1 center, and the pitch runs against Horcoff’s stated position on Edvinsson. Until those two issues change, the roster logic points to a compelling discussion rather than a solution.