WINNIPEG — Player empowerment is defining the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, with stars increasingly dictating their futures and two long-term commitments now testing that shift. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Detroit Red Wings centre Dylan Larkin, who signed seven- and eight-year contracts respectively with full no-trade protection, have both publicly acknowledged they want moves despite having five years remaining on their deals, a stance viewed as a betrayal by fan bases in Winnipeg and Detroit.
The situations have left both front offices boxed in. In Detroit, rookie interim GM Shawn Horcoff must balance progress on the ice with the request from the team's No. 1 centre and former captain, who offered little explanation at a recent press conference and failed to provide answers he said fans deserved. Montreal made a push to pair Larkin with Nick Suzuki, but Larkin has no interest in coming to Canada. In Winnipeg, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff faces Hellebuyck's full no-move clause and a difficult goalie market where convincing another team's top-six player or goalie to waive protection for Manitoba has proven unworkable. As one executive told Sportsnet: “He’s 33, with a reputation for not delivering in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so it’s challenging to match a return value with his current and future value.”
For now a lengthy holding pattern appears likely, with Winnipeg's asking price, Larkin's current injury and teams wanting to evaluate rosters out of camp slowing momentum. Buffalo, Utah and San Jose continue to monitor Hellebuyck, pushing Winnipeg to consider blue-chip prospects over roster players. The focus has also shifted to teammate Mark Scheifele, 33, as the Jets weigh whether to keep him or seek a package to reset for the next decade. Montreal, after missing on Larkin, has asked about Scheifele as a 1-2 punch with Suzuki, with a potential price including prospect Michael Hage or 23-year-old Oliver Kapanen, with Kirby Dach also involved, while Winnipeg has interest in adding Sam Montembeault to tandem with Stuart Skinner to avoid needing a goalie return in a Hellebuyck deal.
Elsewhere, the board remains crowded. Quinn Hughes, traded to Minnesota last year, opens the season on an expiring contract without a new deal, raising questions whether he is waiting for an AAV over $20 million like Cale Makar or buying time to unite with his brothers. Columbus winger Kirill Marchenko, who desperately wants out and carries no trade protection as a pending RFA with arbitration rights, is drawing interest from Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal. In Vancouver, pure shooter Brock Boeser must rebuild trade value without a reliable centre to feed him before the March deadline, while Elias Pettersson, carrying an $11.6 million cap hit, remains under watch. Brady Tkachuk's summer move to Florida to join brother Matthew and Hughes' earlier leverage of short-term deals illustrate the new reality where stars drive the map.