So we’ve reached the point where Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has chosen to withhold his services in the expectation that doing so will assist in facilitating a trade away from the team with which he’s reached irreconcilable differences.
In other words, Dylan’s holding out until he’s dealt out.
It’s sort of stupid, honestly, to go be your ex’s plus-one at a wedding that neither of you want to attend, and then refuse to show up at the reception because there are hard feelings, but that’s where we’re at.
I know that Shawn Horcoff has an impossible challenge on his hands in maximizing the value of a player who’s become a malcontent, but if I did have a voice in the front office, I’d tell him to keep a stiff upper lip amidst the articles, podcasts, TV hits and Tweets mocking him, the Red Wings, and the situation in which the team finds itself.
He’s the interim GM. He can handle the slings and arrows. His job is to wait until he finds a deal which maximizes Dylan Larkin’s trade value, and to explore and negotiate until and only until he and the Wings’ management team (and ownership) feel that they’ve found proper compensation for Larkin’s attributes.
Rushing the job because Larkin is unhappy will not facilitate a happier end for the organization, though it may spare Larkin’s feelings, and so it’s a “tough shit, Dylan” situation for the organization. They’ve got to persevere and deal with being made fun of for their indecisive summer and rush-job to patch up the front office in the fall, because they can only assuage for their mistakes by making a damn good hockey trade for Larkin, and managing the Simon Edvinsson situation to the point that there is some sort of reconciliation that doesn’t involve departure.
Trade Larkin, but take as much time as it takes to trade him. Find a way to reconcile with and re-sign Edvinsson, even if it goes beyond December 1st, and Edvinsson has to sit out the entire season in the NHL and go back to play for Frolunda in Sweden or something like that.
Be patient, be decisive, explore, discuss, reassess, and evaluate as necessary to ensure that you maximize the value of your assets.
That’s competent management, plain and simple, and that’s what the Red Wings desperately need. Competent management, circumstances be damned.
Horcoff’s player agent? Pat Brisson.
Glad you’re well enough to type sanity into the rest of our heads. Don’t overdo it.
That gave me a big, hearty belly laugh, The Meal.
And I’m trying today. I wanted to sleep, but I thought that it was important to offer a little bit of “okay, folks, the house is on fire, but let’s not run around yelling, ‘Fire!’ and not doing anything or trying to get out.”
Great post, George. I could not agree more. Horcoff needs to get us fair market value for Larkin’s contract and value. Take as much time as it takes to get it right.
I wish this could all get done today (Friday morning), but the Wings need to get the deal right, not just get the deal over with.
Always enjoy your thoughts George.