Larkin Trade Request
Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin Requests Trade Amid Team Struggles and Fan Backlash
NHL captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, a report first raised by Elliotte Friedman, and neither Larkin nor agent Pat Brisson nor general manager Steve Yzerman publicly confirmed or commented. The request comes amid Detroit’s decade-long playoff drought, including a 2025-26 season in which the team slipped out of playoff contention after the Olympic break. Larkin remains a high-impact, team-friendly player, an elite top-line center with an $8.7 million cap hit and contract control through the 2030-31 season, along with a full no-trade clause for the next two years that gives him significant destination control. He recorded a fifth straight 30-goal season and had a key role in Team USA’s 2026 Olympic gold, though underlying metrics suggested some downturn risk heading into a potential change of scenery. Several “win-now” teams with center needs are expected to pursue him, including the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Islanders.
Key Points
After the Olympic break, Detroit’s playoff position disappeared following a “long losing skein,” and the disappointing finish meant the Red Wings hadn’t reached the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
CBS Sports reported that Larkin’s 2025-26 production (34 goals, 33 assists) was supported by tradition, but his five-on-five underlying numbers were weaker: a 47.5% expected-goals share and a minus-5 goal differential per Natural Stat Trick.
The Free Press noted that Larkin has been Detroit’s captain since being named by GM Steve Yzerman in January 2021, wearing the “captain’s letter” for the Original Six Wings.
CBS Sports added that after the 2024-25 season, Larkin publicly expressed frustration that Yzerman was inactive at the trade deadline while Detroit was in a playoff race.
ClutchPoints reported harsh fan backlash on social media, including one tweet accusing Larkin of having “tarnished his resume” by being the team’s captain during a long absence from the playoffs, along with complaints that he lacked the kind of leadership personality fans associate with players like Patrick Kane.
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