Why player movement is here to stay in all levels of hockey

Photo illustration of Dylan Larkin and Carter Meyer. (Jeanine Leech/Getty; Rena Laverty/USA Hockey)

Late last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman put out a bombshell report that Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings’ star captain, had requested a trade. After wrapping up Year 3 of an eight-year deal worth $69.60 million and with only five playoff games to his name, the Michigan native wanted out.

My first thought: What would it take for the Bruins to deal for him? As the host of a Bruins podcast, I pray for stories like this in the dog days of June, as this would surely take up a whole lot of airtime this summer. That was until it came out that he would only accept a trade to three places, none of which are Boston.

Silly me.

But then I thought about it a little longer. Aside from the initial shock of the push notification on your iPhone, once the dust settles, why is anyone surprised that anyone would request to be moved — in the NHL or at any level?