Author: George Malik

MLive’s Ansar Khan wonders whether disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin “underestimated the Red Wings’ resolve” this morning.

Khan questions whether Larkin understood that the Red Wings feel no pressure to trade their unhappy captain for anything less than equal value, which means that Larkin may not be traded before training camp–and that Larkin may have to end up playing for Detroit this fall:

The Red Wings’ next GM would be foolish to simply get rid of him for the best offer if they can’t get fair-market value. That return ideally would consist of a top-line center – but no team is going to relinquish a top-line center unless it’s another case of a disgruntled player wanting out. And no team on Larkin’s list has such a player.

So, unless the new GM is willing to settle for futures — not a good way to start his tenure — or Larkin expands his list of teams, this saga might drag on much longer.

If any pressure is mounting as camp approaches Sept. 17-20 at Little Caesars Arena, it’s on Larkin.

The Red Wings don’t have to do anything. It’s Larkin’s call. Show up to camp, explain why you want out, relinquish the captaincy, start playing and see where this leads. Maybe a trade becomes available during the season. Maybe player and club fully reconcile and he’s here for the duration.

It would be a circus atmosphere. Fans would boo – though there’s a segment that also lauds him for saying enough is enough after 10 consecutive non-playoff seasons.

Or Larkin could hold out, get suspended without pay – perhaps for months – and make the situation even worse for everyone involved.

Continued (paywall); we’re less than a month away from training camp, and a lot can happen between now and the preseason.

These are a little (or a lot) late as caring for a bed-bound Aunt Annie was adventurous on Monday:

First, Trey Augustine’s getting ready for the season at “Munn” in East Lansing…

A familiar face was at Munn this morning 👀

Welcome back to East Lansing, Trey! pic.twitter.com/fN7lILM0Ui

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) August 24, 2026

And second, I guess we owe a “Kudos” to the NHL Network for playing their assessment of Dylan Larkin’s game “straight” by describing him as, well, a Red Wing:

"He can affect the game in so many different ways." – @Rupper17

The @DetroitRedWings captain Dylan Larkin kicked off NHL Network's Top 20 Centers Right Now list!

📺: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network https://t.co/CXSOfPeDlp pic.twitter.com/VjnjxmcePo

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 24, 2026

Bleacher Report asked its correspondents to rank the NHL’s 32 teams’ prospect pools, and the Red Wings finished slightly below average at 18th overall. That being said, Hannah Stuart suggests that there are at least three Red Wings prospects for Detroit fans to get excited about:

18. Detroit Red Wings

Prospects to Watch: Trey Augustine, Carter Bear, JP Hurlbert

Analysis: Keep an eye on the Detroit Red Wings. Their prospect pool has the vibe of one about to tip the balance of the ice for its parent organization. And thank god, because right now the parent organization looks a bit directionless. I don’t know what they’re doing; I’m pretty sure they don’t know what they’re doing. I think it’s okay not to know where you’re going when you don’t have a general manager, though, and they’ve got a lot of pieces in this pipeline to help move things forward.

Pro Hockey Rumors’ Bradley Keith posted a list of players who have to “prove it” in the Atlantic Division this upcoming season, and Keith included Red Wings forward Marco Kasper on his list for several solid reasons:

Marco Kasper – Detroit Red Wings

This time last year the idea of Marco Kasper being in such a standing seemed impossible, but that’s the case for the 22-year-old who had 19 goals two seasons ago, with much changing in Hockeytown since. A candidate to step up into a bonafide young star last season, it didn’t happen for the center. Suiting up for 81 games but coming away with just nine goals and 19 points, Kasper’s ice time dropped nearly two full minutes under Todd McLellan. To be fair, sophomore slumps happen, experiencing rotten luck with a shooting percentage just under 7%. The youngster who received Calder votes showed a nice improvement on the face-off dot, winning 51.5%, worthy to consider him a true pivot with second-line upside.

The wheels are officially off the Steve Yzerman plan. It’ll benefit Kasper greatly in the final season of his entry-level deal, with question marks surrounding the entire veteran core, especially 1C Dylan Larkin. If he can come in and impress during camp, the Austrian has a chance to play alongside a winger like Alex DeBrincat. Andrew Copp just turned in a career-best in assist totals at age 32, but if Detroit is ready to embrace the future, it would be smart to set up Kasper in the best possible situation, easing him into a larger role for stretches all season.

Continued; I disagree with the author’s assertion that his three candidates are “not really a prospect any more” given that Kasper is still only 21 years old, and I’m not certain that he’s going to be the Wings’ 1st line center by any stretch of the imagination…

But a whole lot of possibilities are open as the 2026-2027 season approaches, and Kasper could–emphasis on could–earn a major promotion this upcoming season.

Full Press Hockey‘s Jim Biringer spoke with Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff regarding the Red Wings’ front office situation, Dylan Larkin, Simon Edvinsson, Alex DeBrincat and the team’s philosophy going forward, all over the course of a 30-minute Full Press Hockey podcast.

Jim’s a good friend of the blog, so he forwarded this to me, and I hope you enjoy his work:

EliteProspects/DLLS Stars/Shap Shots’ Sean Shapiro posted a mailbag feature this morning on his Shap Shots blog, and among his answers to reader questions is this take on the Red Wings’ managerial search:

What is your ideal red wings timeline/series of events from now up until 31 December? (Ie if you thought all pieces feel into place, what would it look like to you?)

Well it starts with hiring a GM before we get to September, which then quickly parlays into signing Simon Edvinsson to an extension.

But let’s put some dates on things to have some fun.

Sept. 1 — Red Wings hire a new GM, let’s go with Peterson for this thought exercise.

Sept. 2 — Red Wings sign Simon Edvinsson to an extension in the $8 million AAV range.

Sept. 10 — The Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin, avoiding the awkward training camp and then announced Moritz Seider as the new captain.

I think, from there, you see what happens. There’s too much right now that can shuffle, in my view, for us to feasibly see what happens into late December.

Continued (paywall); I have a sinking feeling that the Red Wings won’t name a GM until sometime in mid-September, that it’ll cost them at least $8.5 million to sign Simon Edvinsson, and that the situation regarding Dylan Larkin will remain complicated until the team is able to trade him.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a to-do list for the Red Wings ahead of training camp, and she includes four topics of interest, including the following:

Let’s ‘C’ if Larkin comes to camp

Larkin has been mum on his side, but it’s been four months since made his trade request (Yzerman said it was shortly after the season ended, which was April 15). No deal has materialized.

The Wings want full value − and preferably value-now players in return for Larkin, who centers their top line and has a very palatable $8.7 million salary cap hit. That’s why, as Yzerman said, he didn’t promise to trade Larkin. If Larkin does not report to camp, he won’t be paid. If he does, there’ll be intense scrutiny, from fans to media to team personnel.

And he almost certainly would have to turn in his captaincy. The Wings have a natural successor to the captain role in Moritz Seider, but is it fair to Seider to award him the “C” during such circumstances? They might skip a season.

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson discusses 5 trade rumors as “BS or not BS” (assume that the abbreviation means what you think it does) this morning, and he’s got the right idea regarding the Minnesota Wild’s pursuit of disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin:

Minnesota Wild Can’t Afford to Acquire Dylan Larkin

In early June, it was first reported that Dylan Larkin requested a trade. That made the 30-year-old Detroit Red Wings center a fixture in the rumor mill and earned him a spot on our August NHL Trade Targets list.

Larkin has a full no-movement clause, but is reportedly willing to waive it for the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars. According to MLive.com’s Ansar Khan, the Wild were his preferred landing spot, but they might be unable to meet the Wings’ asking price.

Khan stated the Red Wings sought, at minimum, a top-six forward (preferably a center) in return for Larkin. However, the Wild aren’t parting with that type of asset, and Khan indicated the Red Wings aren’t interested in a return of futures such as draft picks and prospects.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff wonders aloud whether Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Marco Kasper or Albert Johansson can “break out” offensively over the course of the upcoming season. We’ll examine his take on Johansson as more production from #20 may push him up the Wings’ depth chart:

Does Albert Johansson Have More Offense in Him?

As a third-pairing defender, Albert Johansson has proven to be a steadying presence. He’s not spectacular at anything, but the fact that he recognizes his limitations and plays within himself has helped to make Johansson effective in his role.

On those rare occasions when he goes on offensive forays, Johansson has produced some highlight-reel goals.

He’s scored three goals in each of the past two seasons. Does Johansson have more to give in attack? He thinks so.

“I would say I was maybe a little bit more offensive defenseman back home in Sweden when I played there,” Johansson said. “And then since I came over here, I focus a lot on my defensive game. I think I’ve been taking steps in that way, and now I feel like my offensive game kind of shows up a little bit more over here, too.”

Continued; Johansson could propel the Red Wings’ defensive depth forward even if he’s only able to push himself to producing offense at a semi-regular pace.

The Red Wings signed 19-year-old winger Eddie Genborg to an entry level contract this past spring, but it’s expected that the Wings will allow Genborg to remain with Timra IK of the SHL this upcoming season.

This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiles the 6’2,” 198-pound Genborg:

Three Reasons Why Genborg Will Play in the NHL

1. He’s an agitating presence. Genborg is a going concern. He will antagonize other teams.
2. The kid can score. No, Genborg won’t be a 30-40 goal scorer as an NHLer. But 13-15 goals per year and being hard to play against will keep you in the league for a long time.
3. His physical play. Genborg isn’t merely a rat. He delivers massive body checks that can change the momentum of a game.

What May Hold Him Back

Genborg faces the same question that dogs many up-and-comers. Can he score enough at the NHL level? There’s also the worry whether his energetic, fearless style of play will make him more susceptible to injury.

Continued; Genborg may end up being another Tomas Holmstrom-like player, and the Red Wings need that kind of player very badly.