Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen discusses summertime “thoughts” for every NHL team this morning, as inspired by the last episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, which dropped earlier this week.
[sarcasm] Do not be shocked that Boylen discusses the Dylan Larkin situation [/sarcasm]…
Detroit Red Wings: Will a Dylan Larkin trade be found this summer?
The first of the big trade requests made public this off-season, Larkin is still a Red Wing, he’s still the captain, and there’s still a world where he remains on the team to start the 2026-27 season. This will be a tricky deal to make. At $8.7 million for another five years, Larkin’s contract (like so many others) has become even more valuable after the [Philadelphia Flyers’ Leo] Carlsson offer sheet. GM Steve Yzerman’s ask was already high, and it’s believed he wants NHL players instead of futures because the goal in Detroit is to end their 10-year playoff drought.
“I didn’t think, and part of me still doesn’t believe, that Larkin will start next year in Detroit. I’m just not convinced that Yzerman wants to start the season with this distraction,” Friedman said. “I’ve had a few people say to me don’t underestimate it, he’ll do it. If Yzerman believes the right thing to do is start the year with Larkin based on what he’s getting offered then he’ll do it. But I think the offer sheet made Larkin even more valuable, not only in Yzerman’s eyes but in other people’s eyes too.”
Continued; again, my gut feeling suggests that Larkin will be staying home this September instead of attending Detroit’s training camp, but I do believe that the situation will rectify itself at some point early during the 2026-2027 season.
