Updated at 6:03 PM: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and assistant GM/director of amateur scouting Kris Draper discussed Detroit’s 2026 NHL Draft haul with the Wings’ media today. At the end, Steve Yzerman also addresses the Dylan Larkin situation, as Tweeted about earlier:
Update: The Wings’ media corps has weighed in, and we’ll go source-by-source, starting with MLive’s Ansar Khan:
“I will be deliberately brief here,” Yzerman said. “Shortly after the season, I received a phone call from Dylan Larkin’s agent (Pat Brisson) informing me that Dylan would like to be traded. A week or so after that, Dylan’s agent followed up with a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade to go to.
“So, having said that, Dylan has five years remaining on his contract. 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. So, I cannot make any guarantees or did not make any guarantees that that request could or would be met.”
News of Larkin’s trade request broke on June 4. Shortly after, it was revealed he would waive his no-trade clause to join only Florida, Minnesota or Vegas. Some reports indicate that list his expanded, to perhaps include Dallas.
“There is certainly a lot of uncertainty around that,” Yzerman said of the situation. “So, for the time being, I can confirm, yes, that that request was made. I think I will be in a position to maybe answer more questions and be more specific in the future. Today, I would just like to leave it at that. We just completed the draft. I would like the majority of the attention based on the prospects we’ve added to our organization. And somewhere in the near future, we can talk more about the roster of the personnel with the Red Wings around free agency (which starts on Wednesday).
“I appreciate everyone’s understanding. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but at this time, I feel it’s best just to leave it at that.”
The Free Press’s Helene St. James offered both quotes and context…
Larkin, who turns 30 on July 30, has a no-trade clause. His initial list of destinations numbered just the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights, but any team can call Yzerman and pitch a trade.
News leaked on June 4 that Larkin had requested a trade from the only NHL team he has known since the Wings drafted the Waterford native at No. 15 in 2014. The team’s captain since January 2021, Larkin is the only Wings player who has endured all 10 years of consecutive playoff misses.
And this year’s downfall came seven weeks after he’d stood with a gold medal around his neck following the U.S. overtime victory over Canada in the final game of the Olympic tournament. “It’s just the best feeling I’ve ever felt with these skates on,” Larkin told USA TODAY Sports. From that moment of transcendent joy, he returned home to another miserable March.
You can take this, from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan, for what you will…
Yzerman wouldn’t address where the Wings stood in regard to potential unrestricted free agent Patrick Kane, and wouldn’t talk about the roster until after Wednesday’s start of unrestricted free agency.
“There is uncertainly a lot of uncertainty around that for the time being,” Yzerman said. “I would be in the position to maybe answer more questions, and be more specific (regarding Larkin questions) in the future and I’d leave it at that.”
Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff offered his take on the situation…
As Yzerman continued, it became evident that he wasn’t in any rush to accommodate Larkin’s demand.
As his history as an NHL GM has displayed, Yzerman is the Orson Welles of trading. He will make no deal before its time. And he certainly won’t be pushed into a bad deal to grant a disgruntled player’s wishes.
“Dylan has five years remaining on his contract,” Yzerman said. “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. So I cannot make any guarantees or did not make any guarantees that that request could or would be met.”
Yzerman did admit that Larkin’s request has thrown a monkey wrench into the team’s plans for the 2026-27 NHL season. But, it should be noted, this was not of his doing.
“There is certainly a lot of uncertainty around that,” Yzerman said. “So for the time being, I can confirm, yes, that that request was made.
“I think I will be in a position to maybe answer more questions and be more specific in the future. Today, I would just like to leave it at that. I appreciate everyone’s understanding. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but at this time, I feel it’s best just to leave it at that.”
And 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield put things this way:
In his first public comments since the end of the season, Yzerman talked as little as possible about the biggest story of the NHL offseason. He opened his post-draft press conference by asking reporters to limit all questions to draft-related items and the Red Wings’ seven selections, headlined by first-round winger JP Hurlbert.
He punted on any questions about Larkin until issuing a blanket statement at the end of the Zoom call, which began with Yzerman saying, “I will be deliberately brief here.” He did not take any follow-up questions. The Red Wings ended the Zoom before Yzerman could even face any.
“For the time being, I can confirm, yes, that request was made,” Yzerman went on. “I think I will be in a position to maybe answer more questions and be more specific in the future. Today, I would just like to leave it at that. We’ve just completed the draft. I would like the majority of the attention to be placed on the prospects we’ve added to our organization, and somewhere in the near future we can talk more about the roster, the personnel, the Red Wings, around free agency, which opens up next week. OK?
“I appreciate everyone’s understanding. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but at this time I feel it’s best just to leave it at that. Thank you.”
FYI:
Steve Yzerman on pending UFA Patrick Kane: "We would love to have Patrick on the Red Wings."
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) June 27, 2026
Steve Yzerman was asked about Patrick Kane on Saturday.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 27, 2026
“We would love to have Patrick on the Red Wings,” he said. pic.twitter.com/UhSW0tzUTU
