Things have gone from bad to worse for the Detroit Red Wings when it comes to Dylan Larkin. After missing practice on Wednesday for a “maintanence day,” Larkin, through his agent, told the team he’d had enough and wouldn’t show up again until a trade is complete.
The player feels the team had ample time to make a trade, and he has been professional in this process, showing up to training camp and playing in the first 10 games of the season. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff was surprised, but the Red Wings ultimately suspended Larkin without pay until they reach a resolution.
From the start, it’s clear Dylan Larkin didn’t want to be in Detroit anymore. While everyone can say the right things publicly, it was clear from opening night that Larkin’s mind was elsewhere, and he wanted to be elsewhere.
Again, nobody knows what Larkin is thinking except the player, but the reception and how the Red Wings have handled things made it feel like Larkin had played his last game for the organization.
“I mean, I might have touched a nerve on Twitter during the Red Wings home opener,” as mentioned during an appearance on TSN Radio in Montreal. “I said that the reaction to me seems like Dylan Larkin played his last game in Detroit. Whether he gets traded, whether he doesn’t play, he’s on IR. I know what the coach said. Word is he did want to be out there and do all that and take the abuse from the fans, and the fans have every right to do that.”
Dylan Larkin took his medicine from the fans and owned it, but has not said anything publicly about it. The press conference at training camp left more questions than answers. Still, it was clear his mind was set; he wanted out of Detroit, no matter how much Red Wings management hoped he would change his mind.
“To me, he’s already got, if not one, both feet out the door,” as stated on TSN Radio in Montreal. “He’s trying to be a good soldier, but I think Dylan Larkin’s days are numbered.”
And maybe that already happened when Shawn Horcoff got full GM duties back when Steve Yzerman was fired as the Red Wings’ GM. Horcoff didn’t get full duties until September 15th, two days before training camp. So realistically, he has only been negotiating a deal for a little over a month.
You can argue Larkin should be more open-minded about where he wants to go, instead of sticking to just the 10 teams on his trade list. But there’s another side to the coin: the Connor Hellebuyck side. Hellebuyck requested a trade, held out, didn’t tell the team he wouldn’t show up to training camp, and forced the trade when his suspension without pay ended before the Heritage Classic.
Larkin could have done that, and maybe it would be resolved. Because the term reasonable length of suspension without pay will come up again, as it did with the Hellebuyck situation. Nobody knows how long this could last. Larkin could be traded by the end of the day, tomorrow, or the next couple of days or weeks.
However, the Red Wings are not going to give away the center for nothing. That is another issue in and of itself. As Shawn Horcoff stated, and as has been the case from the start, they want NHL players back in return to stay competitive. Detroit wants to do what is best for them in the immediate future and the long term.
“I think the goal is to get players that can help us right away, but at the same time the vision and the ultimate goal is the long-term success of the organization,” Horcoff told the media on Thursday. “I’m open to all different kinds of deals, and really we’re just trying to find something that is fair, for a return, for someone of Dylan’s caliber. He’s a heck of a player on a good contract.”
Teams like the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals and Utah Mammoth remain active. Other teams on the initial trade list, along with the Wild, include the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars. The Colorado Avalanche were also a team on the list.
Again, most of these teams need a third team involved not only to make the cap work, but also to give the Red Wings the assets they want in return. From the start, the preferred destination has been the Minnesota Wild. They have made the most trade offers, but the Red Wings haven’t bitten on any of them.
But nobody blames Larkin for wanting out, since he’s been the face of this rebuild for 10 years. He had to be the one to talk about it the most, given that the former GM didn’t talk about it at all or made things worse.
However, with the first domino falling in Connor Hellebuyck, things are moving on the Dylan Larkin front as talks have escalated.
“The chatter is picking up. I think that Connor Hellebuyck was the first domino in all this,” as stated during an appearance on Off the Rush on 101.1 FM the Pulse in Vancouver. “Larkin’s came out more publicly, but I think they want to get a resolution.”
The trade list is public for a reason, and Dylan Larkin is starting to put pressure on the Red Wings to make a deal. He wants this over with. So does the team, so everyone can move on. As Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets stated, it is hard to play knowing a guy in the room doesn’t want to be there.
The Dylan Larkin watch is on as the Detroit Red Wings try to find a resolution.
