Dylan Larkin may not have expected this scenario to unfold when he requested a trade out of the Detroit Red Wings. However, it’s not like he did much to help his cause. Larkin handed the club a list of four potential destinations in the NHL (originally only three).
If the Red Wings had their hands tied from the moment Larkin requested a trade, his submitted list didn’t loosen the grip one bit. In fact, it may have tightened the chokehold. Months have flown by. Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager almost a month ago. The Red Wings have reportedly identified leading candidates for the GM job. Still, the organization has yet to hire a successor—and Larkin remains a Red Wing.
Although the Red Wings’ ownership has set a bad precedent with its dealings in another sport, it appears unwilling to leave anything to chance with Larkin. That explains the status quo in Motor City and why, despite fans showing Larkin how they feel even on his birthday, the captain has yet to be traded.
“[Larkin’s trade] doesn’t appear any closer to being resolved now than it did near a month ago when Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman agreed to step aside,” Max Smith wrote on Detroit Hockey Now.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings asked for a trade.
What will happen first: Larkin’s trade or new GM?
That’s one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the Red Wings. At first, many thought Larkin wouldn’t be traded until a successor to Yzerman was appointed. That’s still the most likely outcome. But with reports indicating Detroit won’t hire a new general manager anytime soon, it leaves room for speculation.
Could the Red Wings pull off the blockbuster trade and part with their homegrown captain before bringing in someone new to run the front office? It’s an option. With each passing day on the calendar that Larkin remains in town, it becomes an increasingly likely possibility.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a wise decision, though. Then again, leaving such a crucial, franchise-altering decision in the hands of a new leader isn’t a much better alternative, either. Maybe Yzerman (even though he isn’t the GM anymore) and company must lie in the bed they made and deal with the consequences of Larkin’s exit instead of having a newcomer take the fall.
Red Wings will take their time
Whether Larkin leaves or a new GM arrives first, this twisted version of the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma—and the relative calm the Red Wings are keeping during these troubling times—suggests either decision might take more time.
How much exactly? That’s unknown, but Larkin still being with the team as the regular season draws closer can’t be ruled out. Two months ago, when the captain asked out, such a suggestion would’ve been deemed ridiculous.
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