As if this offseason couldn’t get any wackier, the Detroit Red Wings stunned the league by announcing the tacit dismissal of former GM and head of hockey operations Yzerman on Wednesday morning.
The move, while mildly unsurprising, seems to indicate one thing: The Red Wings chose Dylan Larkin over Yzerman.
One of the background narratives surrounding the Larkin trade request was the fact that Larkin had developed a contentious relationship with Yzerman. The situation stemmed from the contract negotiations back in 2023, when Larkin inked an eight-year extension in Detroit.
The negotiations, however, did not go smoothly. The two sides butted heads on numerous occasions, leading to bad blood between Yzerman and Larkin’s camp. The fractured relationship was the underpinning for numerous trade rumors involving Larking over the last couple of years.
Of course, everything came to a head this past season when the Red Wings failed to make the playoffs yet again. Larkin asked for a trade, but Yzerman was unable to pull it off. Regardless of the reason, Larkin remains in Detroit with no real end in sight.
That’s why team ownership likely figured that it was easier to replace Yzerman than Larkin. GMs are relatively abundant in the NHL. Top-line centers, however, are not.
And so, the Red Wings’ ownership had to step in. They needed to end this stalemate, one that was likely threatening to corrode the team from the inside. The only question that remains is what will happen next.
Does Yzerman’s Move Mean Larkin Could Stay in Detroit?
With Yzerman pretty much out of the picture, does it mean that Larkin will be staying? On the whole, that does seem like the subtext playing out here. It seems that Detroit ownership wants to diffuse the situation before it ultimately destroys the team.
As such, the thought process here would be that Larkin may be amenable to return next season now that Yzerman is no longer running the team. While the former Stanley Cup champion would remain within the organization, it’s safe to say that contact between Larkin and Yzerman would be minimal.
What to read next:
What’s Next for Red Wings If Larkin Stays?
The next logical step would be to let fans know why the move happened. If and when the club announces that Larkin will be returning, this thesis will become abundantly clear.
Then, the next step will be to repair the relationship between Larkin and the organization. It’s not often that a team chooses a player over an executive. And had Yzerman managed to successfully replace Larkin, perhaps this announcement would have never happened.
But Yzerman botched whatever trade might have been on the table. Plus, moving on from Larkin would have significantly set the team back into the dark ages. That may seem hyperbolic considering how talented this team is, but that’s the reality of today’s NHL. No team can truly thrive without a number-one center.
So, it seems that the Red Wings made a tough-love choice and picked Larkin. This move shouldn’t inflate Larkin’s ego. If anything, it’s like diffusing a bomb minutes before it goes off.
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