Let's make a deal: Projecting six NHL summer trade...

Given that there are fewer impact players available via free agency this NHL offseason, there has been a considerable amount of buzz that there will be more veteran players traded. That feeling was amplified when Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings during the course of the Stanley Cup Final. But which players will be traded, and where will they land? ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identified six mutually beneficial summer trades, including a number of big-name stars and/or high draft picks. How many of these will come to pass in the coming weeks? Florida Panthers get: F Dylan Larkin, 2026 seventh-round pick (CGY) Detroit Red Wings get: F Anton Lundell, F Mackie Samoskevich, 2026 second-round pick (WSH) Why it works: It's not as if Detroit GM Steve Yzerman wants to be backed into a corner -- but he sort of is when it comes to Larkin. Given that the 29-year-old has a full no-trade clause -- and reports have indicated that his three approved destinations are Vegas, Minnesota and Florida -- Yzerman's best bet is to make the strongest deal he can among the available options. The Panthers have potential as the ideal trade partner. Florida's disappointing 2025-26 season should only motivate GM Bill Zito to explore every option in seeing the Panthers back as top Cup contenders. Adding a top-tier center such as Larkin is how to make that happen. Florida floundered in 2025-26 without Aleksander Barkov -- who was injured before the regular season and did not play because of ACL and MCL tears -- which only highlighted how the Panthers could stand to bolster their center depth. Larkin wouldn't come cheap, but Florida does have picks and players available to swap. Lundell is a rising star down the middle, and has proved his worth at critical points in both the regular season and playoffs for Florida in recent years. The No. 12 pick in 2020 put up six goals and 18 points in the Panthers' last Stanley Cup run, and took on more responsibility with Barkov out last season, collecting 18 goals and 44 points in 64 games. Samoskevich was the Panthers' first-round pick in 2021 and is coming off a strong second season with 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games. The 23-year-old will continue to improve and would give the Red Wings a potential top-six winger option for years into the future. A second-round pick in this year's draft also helps Detroit in the long term to keep building its prospect depth. A scenario such as this one gives Florida the type of game-changing talent that's rarely available, and offers the Red Wings several players and assets in return to bolster their overall depth and build for the future. -- Shilton Washington Capitals get: F Valeri Nichushkin Vancouver Canucks get: 2026 first-round pick (ANA), 2026 third-round pick (NSH) Why it works: Perhaps the easiest way to digest this hypothetical is looking at what it means for each team involved. The Avalanche have a chance to make some adjustments to their roster after being swept in the Western Conference finals. The sweep led to questions about secondary offense and the power play. DeBrusk is a forward who could deliver solutions to those questions. His 19 power-play goals last season were third in the NHL, and his ability to get to the net front also gives the Avs another way to score goals at 5-on-5. No matter what happens with Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals still have areas of their roster worth addressing. Washington has developed a strong collection of promising options who are either natural wingers, or centers who can play on the wing. But adding more experience could help a team that missed the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot by four points. In Nichushkin, they would add an experienced, two-way winger who also fits within their organizational belief to have size up front (Nichushkin is 6-foot-4). Furthermore, as a three-time 20-goal scorer, he would help a team that finished 15th in goals per game last season. Vancouver's priority at the moment is doing whatever it can to make its future stronger. Moving on from DeBrusk in any potential trade comes with the belief that the Canucks can turn a five-time 20-goal scorer into more draft capital. In this scenario, they land the first-round pick the Capitals received from the Anaheim Ducks in the John Carlson trade, along with the third-round pick the Avalanche received from the Nashville Predators in the Ross Colton trade. This would give them picks No. 3, 18 and 24, which could boost that rebuild. -- Clark Carolina Hurricanes get: G Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets get: D Alexander Nikishin, F Bradly Nadeau, 2026 first-round pick Why it works: The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup for a lot of reasons, but one of them was GM Eric Tulsky's loathing of complacency. He's as aggressive in the front office as coach Rod Brind'Amour's system is on the ice, constantly looking for ways to improve the roster. The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley

Let's make a deal: Projecting six NHL summer trade...

Key takeaways

More in sports