This evening, the Detroit News’s Bob Wojnowski weighs in regarding Dylan Larkin’s strange, tense press conference at training camp today at Little Caesars Arena.
Wojnowski rather elegantly describes Larkin as “speaking out of obligation,” and Wojo delves into the plain fact that Larkin sounds like someone who still wants to be traded, is unrepentant about his desire to leave Detroit, and yet remains “stuck” with a soon-to-be previous employer, all without any willingness to shed light as to why Larkin wants out to begin with:
Nobody looks good in this, including Larkin. Until he proves he’s ready to compete at a high level for the only franchise he’s ever known, some will be suspicious. That’s why a long-term reconciliation still seems dubious. He was polite but not enlightening, straining to make a awkward situation more palatable during his 15-minute press conference.
Whatever wrecked his relationship with Yzerman, Larkin wasn’t interested in divulging.
“I have nothing but respect for Steve,” Larkin said. “When it’s game night, we go out and play. And he watches and evaluates. We both do our jobs, and in any organization, competitive people are going to have differences, and I think that’s what makes him great. I respect that a ton, and I think learned a ton from him in terms of leadership.”
Yzerman hasn’t offered his viewpoint since he was removed and given an advisory role. When a proud franchise collapses as completely as this, everyone bears blame, from the owner to the GM to the coach to the players, and yes, to the captain.
Larkin said he understood why he was stripped of the “C”, and almost sounded relieved by it. Because he’s been here 11 years, the homegrown kid from Waterford who went to Michigan, the captaincy was a natural anointing that didn’t necessarily fit. Larkin is soft-spoken and emotional, not a hard-bitten alpha captain.
Don’t misconstrue, though. He plays hard, tough hockey, an excellent two-player who’s rarely been surrounded by comparable talent. For those who suggested he was miscast as a captain, he doesn’t disagree. He played superbly for Team USA in the Olympics as a skilled contributor, not the primary leader.
“I’m a hockey player, and there’s a lot of people in (the dressing room) that I care deeply about,” Larkin said. “You know, it’s home. One day at a time, one game at a time. I’m excited to be a part of this team and back at the bottom of the totem pole, which just may be kind of nice.”
Continued; Wojnowski may be right, and Larkin may be right, too. We just don’t have any information as to how or why Larkin requested a trade, what’s behind his reasoning, or what Steve Yzerman has to say about the failed relationship between team and now former captain.
We may never know.