It has been an eventful offseason for the Detroit Red Wings. First, there was the Dylan Larkin trade request ahead of Game 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final back on June 4th. This trade request was probably put forth earlier than when it became public.
This trade request had a domino effect on how the offseason played out with the Red Wings, mainly in the front office, as Steve Yzerman stepped down as General Manager on July 15th to become a senior advisor to owner Chris Ilitch. Now, there is some debate as to whether or not Yzerman stepped down, was fired, asked to step aside, or there was a mutual agreement that it was time to move on.
NHL Rumors: Detroit Red Wings; Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson
Regardless, it has left the Red Wings in some turmoil this offseason. But neither the Larkin trade request nor the Yzerman reassignment should come as a surprise. The rocky road between Yzerman and Larkin has been well documented. Two seasons ago, Larkin called out Yzerman for not doing enough, while Yzerman put it back on him. It’s kind of a little bit of a war of words here playing out in public.
Larkin has been steadfast on only wanting to go to the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Other teams like the New Jersey Devils have interest in him, if he were to expand the list further. But before Yzerman was forced out, his asking price was high for a player who was a number one center on the Red Wings and a couple of other teams, but a number two center on a championship team.
However, given how late into the offseason the Yzerman news happened, the Red Wings are in no rush to move Larkin for pennies on the dollar. As a matter of fact, the new head of hockey operations for the Red Wings has been left with more questions than answers.
NHL Rumors: When Do the Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin Trades Happen?
But whoever is hired as the new general manager of the Red Wings has damage control to do with Dylan Larkin. He felt like he wasn’t heard for being the captain of a team he grew up watching. The Michigan native felt the help that was necessary needed to come from within, not from outside, given the depth of the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.
So there is a lot to be resolved. Can it be resolved in a short amount of time, or is it a bridge too far burned for Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings? That is the question.
Will Dylan Larkin’s Position Change Now?
As mentioned during an appearance on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio, it feels like Dylan Larkin will start the season with the Red Wings. That doesn’t mean he will finish the season in Detroit.
Host: “And is Dylan Larkin playing for Detroit or not?”
Jim Biringer: “It feels like he will now. If Steve Yzerman doesn’t step down or move on or ask to move on, whatever the case was, I’d say no. But it feels like they could probably figure this thing out at least to start the year. Will he finish the season in Detroit? That’s another question that needs to be answered.”
NHL training camps don’t open for another six to seven weeks. As the Red Wings work through their general manager hire, they are also trying to figure out what happens with Dylan Larkin. Again, trading your problems is never ideal. Maybe a clean slate is what is needed for Larkin and the Red Wings.
We had to restart our X account. Please follow @MyNHLRumorsX
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.
If you love our reporting, choose NHLrumors.com as a preferred source on Google.
