EliteProspects/DLLS Stars/Shap Shots’ Sean Shapiro weighs in regarding Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin’s incredibly awkward press conference on Thursday.
Shapiro suggests that Larkin tried to take the easy way out by offering non-answers to every question posed by the Red Wings’ media corps. As such, Shapiro goes so far as to describe Larkin’s reaction to a very understandably uncomfortable situation as “cowardly,” betraying Larkin’s own sometimes awkward but very honest leadership style:
Larkin said he wanted to be truthful, that he wanted to give some explanation, which he immediately followed up with zero explanation at all.
The trade request he said was for personal reasons, but then refused to give any further explanation of what that meant. We didn’t need the full list of reasons, maybe there is something truly personal about this, but you can’t simply state media reports are wrong about it then refuse to give anything of substance back (I thought Nick Cotsonika voiced this extremely well in his question to Larkin about the situation, when he said I don’t care what’s been reported, I just want the truth.)
Larkin also said he didn’t want this to get out, which I struggle with how neither he nor someone in his close circle, his agent maybe?, didn’t stop at some point and make him realize that was impossible.
He’s a top-six center, American gold medal winner, and captain of the Detroit Red Wings, still one of the NHL’s iconic franchises. There was no way it was going to stay secret, whether he liked or not.
So Larkin is lying here, but I guess the deeper question is whether he’s lying to us or lying to himself. And if it’s the latter, you kind of have to question how his agency, Pat Brisson and CAA, somehow haven’t stepped in to save their client from himself during this public self-immolation of any good will Larkin ever had in Detroit.
Continued (paywall) at length..
