The Detroit Red Wings remain in a steep uphill battle to hold on to Dylan Larkin. Detroit’s captain previously requested a move out of town early this summer. Despite being a Michigan native, the star is apparently tired of missing out on the playoffs. Larkin has not featured in the postseason since his rookie campaign a decade ago.
Another factor, however, was the captain’s unsteady relationship with now-former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. While Yzerman’s departure could help sway Larkin to stay in Detroit, this does not necessarily seem to be the case. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press is now reporting that nothing has changed regarding the captain’s trade demand.
“This is where the Wings find themselves as August ages: Without leadership, and with a captain, as Dylan Larkin has not budged on the request to be traded that he made shortly after the season ended on April 15,” writes St. James.
The reporter also revealed that Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff is currently managing “day-to-day responsibilities” at the club with Yzerman gone. Nevertheless, St. James points out that Horcoff does not have the power to make trades. Because of this, the Larkin situation could very well continue to drag on as training camp nears.
Detroit Red Wings May Need Third Team to get Involved in Dylan Larkin Trade
GettyDylan Larkin has been captain of the Detroit Red Wings since early 2021.
Along with addressing Larkin, St. James also reports that Detroit Red Wings owner Christopher Ilitch has hired a search firm to help find a suitable candidate to replace Yzerman. The group is likely looking to hone in on an analytics-driven exec to lead the way in the future. Teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche have found success going this route.
At the moment, Larkin has limited his next destination to four teams: the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Panthers. The Red Wings captain has significant control over the situation due to a no-trade clause in his $69.6 million contract. Nevertheless, all four of these teams currently have financial restrictions.
According to PuckPedia.com, Minnesota has the most available funds of the quartet, with just $1.1 million in projected cap space. Dallas and Vegas are actually already over the salary cap. Because of this, the Detroit Red Wings likely need either Larkin to expand his wish list or get a third team involved in a complicated trade. The latter scenario currently appears to be the more likely outcome.
Detroit Hockey Fans Unhappy With Captain
Despite their lack of funds, the Wild remain favorites to land Larkin from the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota GM Bill Guerin, however, still has to create enough cap space to afford giving superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes an extension. The blueliner is set to enter his final year under contract.
Ilitch and the Red Wings likely still hope that Larkin could eventually rescind his trade request and remain in Detroit. Nevertheless, many fans of the team have already seemingly moved on. The Red Wings recently wished their captain a happy birthday on social media. It is safe to say that the replies to the post were mixed at best.
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