Larkin Trade Request
Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin Requests Trade Amid Team Struggles and Fan Backlash
Anonymous
NHL captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, a report first raised by Elliotte Friedman, and neither Larkin nor agent Pat Brisson nor general manager Steve Yzerman publicly confirmed or commented. The request comes amid Detroit’s decade-long playoff drought, including a 2025-26 season in which the team slipped out of playoff contention after the Olympic break. Larkin remains a high-impact, team-friendly player, an elite top-line center with an $8.7 million cap hit and contract control through the 2030-31 season, along with a full no-trade clause for the next two years that gives him significant destination control. He recorded a fifth straight 30-goal season and had a key role in Team USA’s 2026 Olympic gold, though underlying metrics suggested some downturn risk heading into a potential change of scenery. Several “win-now” teams with center needs are expected to pursue him, including the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Islanders.
Key Points
1
After the Olympic break, Detroit’s playoff position disappeared following a “long losing skein,” and the disappointing finish meant the Red Wings hadn’t reached the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
2
CBS Sports reported that Larkin’s 2025-26 production (34 goals, 33 assists) was supported by tradition, but his five-on-five underlying numbers were weaker: a 47.5% expected-goals share and a minus-5 goal differential per Natural Stat Trick.
3
The Free Press noted that Larkin has been Detroit’s captain since being named by GM Steve Yzerman in January 2021, wearing the “captain’s letter” for the Original Six Wings.
4
CBS Sports added that after the 2024-25 season, Larkin publicly expressed frustration that Yzerman was inactive at the trade deadline while Detroit was in a playoff race.
5
ClutchPoints reported harsh fan backlash on social media, including one tweet accusing Larkin of having “tarnished his resume” by being the team’s captain during a long absence from the playoffs, along with complaints that he lacked the kind of leadership personality fans associate with players like Patrick Kane.
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