The rumor mill around Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings is going crazy. However, nothing has materialized so far in the 2026-27 NHL season. Amid reports that a trade could happen behind Larkin’s back and others suggesting the Red Wings are holding up trade talks with their unrealistic asking price, the only certainty appears to be that Larkin won’t be going anywhere for the time being.
The Red Wings’ recent update dismissing Larkin’s trade is par for the course. It’s a known fact around the NHL that Detroit is in no rush to move the former captain, but it feels as if the organization isn’t taking things seriously, either. Sooner or later, Larkin might say enough is enough.
Perhaps that’s what the Red Wings hope will happen, leading the center to expand his trade list and giving the front office more room to maneuver in negotiations. However, that plan could also backfire. Larkin’s last straw may not lead to him waiving his no-trade clause for the first suitor that comes along, but instead to him seeking legal action against the organization.
“I think we’re gonna get to a place in the relatively near future where if the Red Wings wanna continue to hem and haw, that he’s gonna put their feet to the fire,” Frank Seravalli commented during an appearance on the Flames Now podcast.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings after a fight.
What could Larkin do, though?
That’s the million-dollar question. Indeed, Larkin put the Red Wings against the ropes with his trade request and narrow trade list. However, that might be as close as he can get. Larkin doesn’t have a clear move to deliver the knockout punch and force his way out of Detroit. The Wings are far from being in a comfortable spot, but they aren’t obliged to throw in the towel, either.
Larkin is signed to a more-than-reasonable $8.7 million contract for the next four and a half seasons, and that deal will only look better as the NHL’s salary cap continues its rocket-like rise. So, what can Larkin do to tilt the scales, shift momentum, and, at last, get over the finish line and secure a trade? Not much, to be honest.
The obvious route would be to sit out the rest of the season until he’s traded, but that would do more harm than good. Not only would he miss games in which he could showcase his worth to Stanley Cup contenders, but he would also risk being suspended without pay.
Larkin may choose legal route
Perhaps the legal route provides a better chance for Larkin, but it remains to be seen how his case might stand in court and whether it even has a leg to stand on. Moreover, that would be a long process, perhaps even longer—and certainly more exhausting—than letting the drama play out and living out his days in Detroit.
The main benefit of Larkin going nuclear and taking action against the Red Wings—aside from potentially forcing Detroit’s hand into making a trade—is that such a conflict would put the organization in a bad light and put the rest of the locker room on notice. Larkin could be sending the message: “If it happens to me, a former beloved captain, it can certainly happen to you, too.“
Red Wings can’t risk trouble
At the end of the day, the Red Wings can’t risk that kind of panic setting in within their facility. If Larkin ever threatens to act out, the Red Wings should be cautious, not cocky.
It’s unclear what exactly Larkin can do, but if there is even a slight chance of him taking action, it could have a big effect on the rest of the team, even if it doesn’t directly help Larkin’s trade request.
For the time being, it seems the rift between Larkin and Detroit remains in a cold-war phase, but things are heating up, and anything could happen. After all, all is fair in love and war, and there is no love lost between the two sides.
Key takeaways
- No trade has materialized for Dylan Larkin during the 2026-27 NHL season.
- Frank Seravalli commented on the Flames Now podcast that Larkin could pressure Detroit soon.
- An $8.7 million contract keeps Dylan Larkin signed with Detroit through 2030-31.
