The Free Press’s Helene St. James read the statements made by Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell and his captain, Zach Werenski, who has apparently rescinded his trade demands…
Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell and All-Star defenseman Zach Werenski have issued the following statements today. pic.twitter.com/kmNYvDEZfW
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2026
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2026
And, well…
Meanwhile in Detroit, more than two months have passsed since Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, informed general manager Steve Yzerman shortly after the season ended (on April 15) that Larkin wants to be traded. Larkin, who has five years left on a contract with an $8.7 million yearl salary cap hit, has a no-trade clause, and to that end submitted a list of where he wants to go: The Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights.
The Wings haven’t received any offers they consider worthy of moving their top-line center and captain, who they drafted at No. 15 in 2014.
The Wings are not obligated to trade Larkin and are determined to only do so for players who can contribute at the NHL level now. If a trade does not happen, Larkin will have to decide either to report to camp, or sit out (in which case he would be in violation of his contract). If he reports, the expectation would be that he turn in his captaincy.
Another possibility is to pave a path to reconciliation, as Waddell and Werenski (a Grosse Pointe native and a close friend of Larkin’s) just demonstrated.
Continued; I just don’t see it happening. At some point this summer or fall, Dylan Larkin will no longer be a Detroit Red Wing.
