All hope may not yet be lost for the Detroit Red Wings. According to reports, they have a chance to convince Dylan Larkin to withdraw his trade request. However, that hinges entirely on who they hire as the new general manager, and the ongoing search isn’t going particularly well. That’s assuming the Red Wings even want Larkin back after he turned his back on the organization.
It’s clear most fans want Larkin gone, but the front office won’t act on impulse. The problem remains that there are too many voids in the front office. If one were to ask who is in charge right now in Motor City, there may be no definite answer. That’s the other side of Steve Yzerman’s departure, which reports all but confirm was more of a firing than a mutual agreement.
With no acting general manager in place, the Red Wings are wandering just days away from the start of training camp across NHL rinks. The latest update on the ongoing drama and circus in Detroit has now confirmed that one strong candidate for the open position has withdrawn from consideration. At this point, it’s only par for the course.
“Detroit Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg — citing his commitment and desire to finish what he’s started— has withdrawn from consideration for the vacant Red Wings position. The search continues minus one legit contender,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported.
Steve Yzerman former GM of the Detroit Red Wings.
Why Greenberg made sense
Greenberg is someone Chris Ilitch, governor and CEO of the Detroit Red Wings, trusts. In addition to his role within the Red Wings, Ilitch is also chairman and CEO of the Detroit Tigers in MLB. Greenberg is currently employed by Ilitch as the general manager of Detroit’s baseball club and was considered a strong candidate for the vacant job at the other building in Downtown Detroit.
However, with the MLB season still ongoing, he decided to remain with the Tigers. “[Greenberg] said he admires the Red Wings and was honored to be considered, but is committed to [the] Tigers,” as reported by Evan Woodbery of MLive.
Many might question why an executive with a job in another sport would be a good fit, but Greenberg has NHL experience under his belt as well. He was associate general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks from April 2022 to September 2023, when he left to join the Tigers’ front office.
Although this new opportunity would have required zero moving crews and new addresses for Greenberg and his family, he still decided he was just fine at Comerica Park rather than enter Little Caesars Arena, which stands less than half a mile away from his current office.
Red Wings won’t make deadline
A report around the Red Wings revealed an urgent deadline for the GM search, pointing to the fact that Detroit hoped to have a solution in place by Labor Day (Sept. 7, 2026). However, unless the Wings did a fantastic job covering their tracks, it seems they won’t meet the deadline. It only adds to the drama around town.
Training camp will start on Sept. 17, and there is still no general manager in the front office. In addition to what it means for Larkin’s future, with him having to decide whether he holds out or joins the team despite making it clear he wanted nothing more to do with it, it also brings trouble for a youngster on the squad.
Red Wings have yet to re-sign Edvinsson
Simon Edvinsson, the 23-year-old defenseman, remains an RFA. Contract negotiations have stalled with no GM in place, and he is still missing the contract that allows him to participate in the 2026-27 NHL season.
Needless to say, it’s far from ideal for the young blueliner, who has 56 points to his name across the last two seasons. This kind of sloppiness on Detroit’s part could come at a cost and may hint at the end of the professional relationship between Edvinsson, his camp and the 11-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise.
