The Free Press’s Helene St. James discusses 3 topics of note during training camp including the Red Wings’ managerial search, Dylan Larkin’s future and re-signing Simon Edvinsson:
Dylan Larkin trade request to address
Larkin said Friday will report to camp (to hold out would mean he would not be paid), simultaneously with the Wings announcing Larkin has been stripped of the captaincy. So many more questions remain for Larkin to address, and the prudent thing would be to do so on opening day of camp, rather than let it linger.
Among the questions: What pushed him, shortly after the season ended in mid-April, to request a trade? Was it spurred by missing the playoffs again, or had it been simmering since winning the gold medal with his fellow USA teammates at the 2026 Milano Olympics? (Fellow USA teammate Brady Tkachuk was traded from the Ottawa Senators to Florida Panthers in June, and fellow USA teammate and Michigander Connor Hellebuyck has asked out of Winnipeg.)
Did Larkin consider the trade might not happen?
When he made the request, the 30-year-old native of Waterford would only approve a trade to the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights or Panthers. The Panthers and Golden Knights have shown limited interest; the Wild have shown more, but not enough.
Yzerman told Larkin’s side at the time the request was made that it might not come to fruition. Among the issues is the fact that Larkin is the Wings’ top center, he is a consistent 30-goal scorer, and he is signed for five more years with an $8.7 million annual average value. Not only is that a very favorable salary cap hit, the Wings already have paid Larkin $31 million in actual salary on the eight year, $69.6 million contract he signed in March 2023. In actual salary, he makes $8 million each of the next three seasons, then $7.6 million in 2029-30 and $7 million in the last season of the deal.
The Wings have wanted value-now players in return for what is one of their top assets, made all the more necessary by how thin they are at the center position.
Continued (paywall)
