The Detroit Red Wings entered the offseason facing difficult questions, and the full picture is finally unfurling. Dylan Larkin‘s trade request has now turned those questions into a full-scale organizational crisis.
The longtime captain reportedly wants out after 11 NHL seasons, becoming the biggest potential name on the trade market. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that tensions between Larkin and Red Wings management have been building for years, dating back to difficult contract negotiations in 2023.
Larkin ultimately signed an eight-year, $69.6 million contract, which pays him on average $8.7 million per year, but frustration appears to have lingered. Detroit’s inability to end its playoff drought has only added to the strain.
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The 29-year-old center has repeatedly voiced disappointment with the club’s direction. Following last season’s trade deadline, Larkin openly questioned management’s lack of additions, saying, “It was hard that we didn’t do anything… It’d be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice, and maybe a morale boost as well.”
Larkin’s frustrations came after another collapse. Detroit held a strong playoff position during the season before fading down the stretch and extending its postseason drought to 10 years, now the longest active drought in the NHL.
Why the Red Wings’ leverage has suddenly weakened?
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) celebrates after scoring at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The public nature of the trade request has shifted the balance of power.
Speaking on the SDPN podcast, Steve Dangle summed up how rival teams may view the situation.
“Such bad news for Detroit that this news got out,” Dangle said. “They were – sort of interesting, like, ‘Oh, Cossa might get traded, and teams need goalies.’ Everyone’s gonna be calling them with anvils. Anchors and anvils. What do you need? Here’s some garbage. ‘Cause they know the Red Wings are between a rock and a hard place. They’re screwed.”
While that assessment may sound harsh, there is logic behind it. Larkin possesses a full no-move clause, giving him significant control over any destination. At the same time, every general manager now knows Detroit is dealing with an unhappy captain.
For Detroit, losing Larkin would be devastating. He remains their top center, producing 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games this season. His contract is also increasingly valuable as the NHL salary cap rises.
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The Red Wings still have promising pieces in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, along with substantial cap space. However, trading away the captain would signal a major shift in general manager Steve Yzerman’s rebuilding plan.
Yzerman has a reputation for patience and discipline, so a quick deal appears unlikely. Still, if the relationship is beyond repair, Detroit faces an uncomfortable reality of replacing a top-line center entering his prime.