Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian offers “1 word for every team’s status after 2026 free agency and the draft,” and while I generally agree with Civian’s observant opinions, I disagree with her assessment of the state of the Red Wings’ franchise on July 7th, 2026:

Detroit Red Wings: Miserable

Steve Yzerman can play hardball all he wants, and as justified as he may be in reminding us that Dylan Larkin has a contractual obligation to report to training camp, he can’t force Larkin or any of us to enjoy what the Red Wings have (or haven’t) become under his leadership.

It’s been eight years of missed playoffs and lack of action from the Yzerplan, and doubling down as the captain and first-line center is just not the move.

1. I’m not miserable. I’m apprehensive. To quote Merriam-Webster, I have significant “anxiety about the future” of the Detroit Red Wings. I am not “in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness,” though I know that some of you feel that way.
2. This concept that Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings’ management team should simply take whatever trade he can for Dylan Larkin in order for the franchise to “move on” is both naive and inappreciative of the situation. Yzerman and the Wings’ management need to maximize their return for Larkin, whether the assets they acquire in return consist of “futures,” or whether they consist of present-day help.

There’s just no way around the fact that the approach that the Red Wings take regarding trading Dylan Larkin could define the team’s rebuild, and quite possibly set it back by several seasons, especially if Yzerman and the Wings “settle and move on.”

I appreciate Civian’s acerbic wit, observant nature and wise writing 99.999% of the time, but here, I feel that she’s being a bit obtuse as to her understanding of the particulars of the situation from Detroit’s perspective.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski ponders whether he’s making overreactions to news items of note from the first full week of the NHL offseason, and here’s what he has to say about the Dylan Larkin situation:

Dylan Larkin will start the season in Detroit

There’s a difference between the “player empowerment” happening with Dylan Larkin and that of his Team USA friends. Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa parted ways, with him having two years left on his contract. Ditto Zach Werenski, seeking to finish the last two years of his contract elsewhere.

But Larkin has five more years left on his deal with the Red Wings. There’s no threat of him not re-signing after an eight-year deal that started in 2024.

GM Steve Yzerman said he received the trade request and the teams to which Larkin would like to be traded, which reportedly are Florida, Minnesota and Vegas.

“My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that,” Yzerman said after the NHL draft. “I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met.”

That sounds like a GM ready to play the long game with his captain, even if that game extends into the regular season.

Continue reading Wyshynski ponders whether Dylan Larkin will remain a Red Wing during part or all of the 2026-2027 season

Per the NHL:

2026-27 NHL Regular-Season Schedule Will Be Announced July 16 at 1 p.m. ET

Opening Night Matchups Will Be Set on July 15; Each Team to Play Two Additional Divisional Games, Expanding Season to 84 Games Per Team and 1,344 Overall

NEW YORK (July 7, 2026) – The National Hockey League (NHL) today detailed plans for announcing the 2026-27 season schedule.

On Wednesday, July 15, the League will unveil opening night matchups, which will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN in the U.S. and on Sportsnet in Canada. The announcement will be made during the day, prior to the 2026 ESPY Awards (8 p.m. ET, ABC), that will feature several NHL nominees, including the 2026 Olympic Gold Medal-winning USA’s Men’s Ice Hockey team for Best Team. Wednesday’s announcement will also detail the League’s 2026-27 signature events.

The following day, on Thursday, July 16, the complete 2026-27 NHL regular-season schedule is set to be announced at 1 p.m. ET. Coming off the 2025-26 season that saw record-breaking viewership and attendance, the 2026-27 regular-season schedule will feature 1,344 games – 84 games per team – which includes two additional divisional games per team.

The @NHL has released plans for announcing the 2026-27 schedule.

Full details: https://t.co/v5etZKMIif pic.twitter.com/mhr0e1rZjs

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) July 7, 2026

We all know that Patrick Kane’s decision as to which team he plans on signing with as an unrestricted free agent will have ramifications throughout Detroit’s roster.

It’s entirely possible that the Wings will look to add some sort of nominal replacement play-maker in addition to the signing of Viktor Arvidsson; it’s entirely possible that Kane’s departure would affect Alex DeBrincat’s desire to re-sign with his hometown team; and there is no doubt in my mind that Kane and Dylan Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, are talking about rectifying both players’ future employment situations over the course of one fell swoop…

Anyway, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith notes this morning, there are a lot of moving parts here:

A week into free agency, the 37 year-old has remained mum on where he intends to sign, despite post-season comments indicating he was leaning towards staying put. Elliotte Friedman stated that he wasn’t sure he expected the veteran winger to return to Detroit. MLive’s Ansar Khan reported that Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings have a standing offer on the table for Kane, however he is still as of yet to sign it.

With Kane potentially on the way out the door the Red Wings future looks even more uncertain with the looming Dylan Larkin trade request.

What bothers me about this whole situation is simple: there have been, “I heard from a guy that…” rumors galore about Kane signing in Buffalo, Toronto, or even back in Chicago, but nobody’s been able to substantiate them. It’s mostly speculation at this point.

As Smith notes, the Wings would take a step back without Kane, at least if they don’t try to replace his production in a meaningful manner…

Continue reading Regarding Kane, DeBrincat and Yzerman

The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak is already projecting the Red Wings’ 2026-2027 regular season lineup, or two opening-night lineups, anyway. Tony suggests that the Red Wings may have to make the uncomfortable decision to retain Dylan Larkin’s services if they don’t find a suitable trade for the disgruntled captain:

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, there’s still a chance Larkin is part of the organization when the 2026-27 season kicks off.

Will it be awkward? Yes. Will Larkin want to be there? Probably not.

That said, he’s under contract with the Red Wings. Unless Larkin is traded before the campaign begins, he has a contractual obligation to show up for training camp as he normally would. Failure to do so would be a breach of contract, likely resulting in the team suspending him without pay.

All of this to say, Larkin is Detroit’s 1C until he isn’t. And, for now, I have Emmitt Finnie and Lucas Raymond joining him on the top line.

Wolak’s Larkin-included lineup is very realistic, with Viktor Arvidsson stepping into Patrick Kane’s spot on the second line, Carter Mazur and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard earning regular roster spots up front…

And he has William Wallinder (whose waiver-exempt status expires this fall) and Jacob Bernard-Docker battling for the #7 and #8 spots on the Wings’ defense.

Wolak also includes a Larkin-free lineup, minus any present-day player return, and it’s a little cringey in terms of the team’s depth at center, or the lack thereof.

I’m nodding my head at his conclusion as well:

Overall, Detroit’s offseason has already started to reshape the roster, but the lineup still feels more like a working draft than a finished product. Whether it’s a Kane reunion, additional moves from Yzerman, or a resolution to the Larkin situation, the Red Wings’ opening night lineup could still look significantly different by the time the puck drops.

Between the resolution of the Patrick Kane situation (which may involve rectifying Larkin’s situation, given that Dylan Larkin and Kane have the same agent in Pat Brisson), the Larkin trade, and some free agent signings to round out the lineup with scoring, speed and/or physicality, there is no doubt that the Wings’ lineup is a work in progress for now.

Kudos to Wolak for projecting a very solid lineup. I always like Tony’s work.

I can’t help but raise my eyebrow at this declaration from Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith:

The Red Wings, meanwhile, have yet to make another signing or trade of significance for the main roster since Day 1 of free agency. Patrick Kane remains unsigned, and by all reports seems to have moved on from Detroit, even if he has not yet settled on a new destination.

With a deep Atlantic division and the Metropolitan getting more top heavy, the Red Wings will need to find a way to get competitive in the marketplace fast.

I have PuckPedia’s signing tracker and EliteProspects’ “confirmed transfers” page bookmarked and open among the sea of tabs that I use on Firefox.

Aside from minor free agent signings and the Senators’ imminent re-signing of Claude Giroux and the Capitals re-upping Alex Ovechkin, teams have pretty much been signing their own players since July 1st, Leo Carlsson offer sheet excluded. Nobody’s been that proactive over the past 6 days (in my opinion).

Continue reading Are the Wings ‘stuck in neutral,’ or are free agency crickets just league-wide inertia?

As noted earlier today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the possibility that the Red Wings might ask Dylan Larkin to consider being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of his final “32 Thoughts” podcast of the season (again, Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas talk about the Wings at 1 hour and 17 minutes)…

And this evening, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offers this….

Well-connected hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said on his podcast that the Carolina Hurricanes are considering using an offer sheet to make a splash. He speculates Edvinsson is the target because they want to add a defenseman. Friedman believes Edvinsson would be an exceptional fit for Carolina’s system.

Edvinsson is a restricted free agent. It’s unknown how far apart they are on a new deal. The Edvinsson projection was a long-term contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $8.7 million (AFP Analytics). With this summer’s events, it might take closer to $10 million.

You guys and gals and in-betweeners know I hate speculation, but hey, it’s July 6th, let’s speculate!

At least it’s Allen (someone I trust) doing it…

Continue reading Friedman 2: Edvinsson offer sheet and DeBrincat extension Electric Boogaloo

MLive’s Ansar Khan places his ear to the hockey rumor-y railroad track and offers an update on Patrick Kane’s status this afternoon:

The Detroit Red Wings made a big push to re-sign Patrick Kane and have a standing offer on the table. But it doesn’t appear as if the future Hall-of-Famer will return.

Kane enjoyed his time in Detroit and likes the chemistry he has with longtime linemate Alex DeBrincat. But Dylan Larkin’s likely departure has prompted Kane to seek a better opportunity to win elsewhere.

His hometown Buffalo Sabres appear to be the most logical destination.

Viktor Arvidsson, who can play both wings, should replace Kane’s offense after signing a two-year deal for an average annual value of $5 million on July 1.

But the Red Wings still need more scoring, after ranking 22^nd in goals per game and 30^th in five-on-five goals. And on top of that, there’s no telling what they might get in return for Larkin if he’s traded.

Continued (paywall); as far as I’m concerned, I really do believe that superpower agent Pat Brisson is keeping up some communication between Larkin and Kane, who are both Brisson’s clients.

My realistic “gut feeling” is that Kane’s not making an easy decision between Detroit, Buffalo, and wherever else he may end up, and that the Wings’ roster situation will play heavily into his decision-making process. Otherwise, he would have already signed with the Sabres already:

The Sabres have about $8.6 million in cap space and could use some more offense after losing three-time 30-goal scorer and unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade with Washington.

Buffalo ended a 14-year playoff drought and advanced to the second round before being eliminated by Montreal.

I’m just shaking my head at the admirable Adam Proteau’s off-key take on the situation between disgruntled Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and Detroit’s players and management.

Proteau wonders aloud what would happen if the Red Wings brought a disgruntled Larkin to training camp, which is not going to happen…

While Yzerman can and should put up a brave front for public consumption and pretend that Larkin is going to play more games in a Red Wings uniform, picture what could happen if Larkin isn’t traded.

When training camp begins, there will be an army of media asking pointed questions. Could the Wings function and focus when, every day, there’ll be constant questions about Larkin’s future in Detroit? 

That potential situation could get sufficiently ugly to be a burden that Red Wings players have no choice but to deal with daily. It will be a constant distraction, and no amount of brave posturing will change the fact that Larkin has checked out.

Larkin knew there was no turning back once he informed Yzerman that he wanted a trade. And there’ll be a poisonous atmosphere in Motown if Larkin sticks around.

There are two points to be made here:

1. Yzerman’s not going to talk to the media until he wants to do so. For better or worse, he’s not a general manager that reaches out to the media, and I have a bad feeling that he’s not going to speak this summer/fall until the Larkin situation rectifies itself. It’s disappointing to have a hermit for a GM in terms of his relationship with the media (or the total lack thereof), but that’s his prerogative;
2. Again, there is no purpose in bringing Larkin to training camp. If he’s still a member of the Red Wings’ organization come September, the Wings should either sit him out or suspend him outright.

And this is why Yzerman should hold out for the best deal possible–because the most well-intentioned journalists just get the whole bloody point of trading Larkin if and only if there’s a commensurate return wrong:

Continue reading The Red Wings should not ‘settle’ for an OK Dylan Larkin trade simply to get it done and over with

EliteProspects/DLLS Sports/Shap Shots’ Sean Shapiro is back from a vacation to Michigan’s U.P., and he’s updated his Substack with thoughts regarding Dallas’ Jason Robertson’s decision to go the salary arbitration route, offering scuttlebutt and behind-the-scenes talk as to how the Dallas Stars’ organization works…

And Shapiro adds this about Dylan Larkin’s situation, reiterating what has become a more and more common theory–that Dylan Larkin’s value has only increased now that Leo Carlsson’s been offered $20 million per season:

On the “hockey is a business” note, the Leo Carlsson signed offer sheet and the Anaheim Ducks pending decision to match the Philadelphia Flyers or not feels like it just juiced up Dylan Larkin’s value.

Larkin was already a highly-desirable asset as a top-six center making $8.7 million per season, but with the rising cap and the Carlsson deal, that cap hit for five more season became even more valuable. Now whether that means he’s more valuable to the Red Wings or more valuable as a trade asset is fascinating, but it feels like this is just another reason to see Steve Yzerman dig in his heels and be more patient than anyone else would like him to be.

Continued (paywall); again, we’re all questioning whether Steve Yzerman should trade while the summertime “gettin’s good,” but I have a feeling that this is going to take all summer to play out.