The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau took note of the comments made by Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat on the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour earlier this month, as made to THN’s Michael Traikos, regarding several topics of interest. DeBrincat suggested that the Red Wings’ previous season wasn’t as dire as it appeared to be…
“We can get our minds set and get confident again and learn from our mistakes last year,” DeBrincat said. “I think that’s really the biggest thing. We made too many mistakes late in the season, and it ended up costing us. But the first 60, 75 percent of the season was really good. We were right at the top there, and we just, you know, fell off a cliff. So try to get back that confidence side of the game and hopefully not go through that same lull.”
And DeBrincat, who asked for a trade out of Ottawa, offered sympathetic commentary regarding Dylan Larkin’s situation:
“Yeah, I mean, it sucks,” DeBrincat said of Larkin’s trade demand. “I think it doesn’t really change what we think of him. He’s still a great player. He’s been a great friend and a great teammate to me, and we obviously love him here. That’s kind of for him to answer what’s next for him. But for us, I think it’s all the same. We’re happy to see him at the rink and happy to get started.”
DeBrincat can speak from experience when it comes to wanting out of an organization for personal reasons. He spent just one season with the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23 before making it known he wouldn’t sign a long-term contract extension with the franchise. The Sens traded him to Detroit, where he wanted to be.
“There’s so many different things that go into it,” DeBrincat said. “Everyone’s got their own things going on, and you have to do what’s best for you at that time. And for family reasons, for hockey reasons, there’s so many things that go into it. So it’s just a feeling that maybe it’s not the best fit. I’m speaking for myself here. (Ottawa) was just not the best fit for me. And I think going into that, we gave it our best chance and our best try. We were very open to the situation and ended up just not working out.”
Making a decision like that doesn’t come without its hardships, and Larkin has received his share of backlash. But DeBrincat believes that those short-term pains pale in comparison to the long-term struggles of staying in a situation that doesn’t make you happy.
“The backlash is a part of it, but you can block it out,” DeBrincat said. “I think you want to do anything for your family to make yourself happier. You’re not just going to sit somewhere you’re not happy with for X amount of years just because you don’t want to get hated on by that fanbase. You know, there’s another fanbase that will love you.”
