Red Wings coach Todd McLellan was asked to weigh in on Dylan Larkin’s press conference comment that he’s now “on the bottom of the totem pole” in terms of the team’s hierarchy after having relinquished the captaincy due to his trade demands.
Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith took note of coach McLellan’s response:
‘We’re all on the totem pole, and there can only be one guy on top. Is it Mo? Is it Cat?,’ Said McLellan, ‘Is it Razor? We can be interchangeable pieces on the top and everywhere else on the pole… Other guys have to step up in moments and provide that leadership.’
The Red Wings and Larkin find themselves in an odd transitional period as they await a new general manager, and potentially a new home for Larkin. Where that leaves the rest of the Red Wings roster is still in flux. But one way or another, the team will need to sort its own problems out over the NHL’s newly shortened training camp schedule.
‘I think I said this in the past- We do pick the team, but we don’t really pick the team,’ Said McLellan, ‘The players do. They’re going to sort themselves out, and we need the best version of the Red Wings we can possibly find.’
Continued; everybody’s going to have to row the boat in the same direction, Larkin included for as long as he’s here, or the Wings will go nowhere, fast.
Then there’s this:
Red Wings coach Todd McLellan: "Who wouldn't want Dylan Larkin on their team? He made a commitment to the team signing a contract. We made a commitment to him to provide an opportunity to play and that's where we're at right now."
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) September 17, 2026
