The Detroit Red Wings‘ social media team posted a curt birthday message for Dylan Larkin, and it didn’t take long for fans to swarm the comment section. Ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, the captain has yet to be traded after asking out, and the fan base in Motor City isn’t sugarcoating its thoughts.
The elephant in the room is impossible to miss. Larkin’s trade request shattered the bond between the Red Wings and their captain. In fact, things appear so tense between the two sides that the organization couldn’t even put on a happy face on social media, where everything is known for being superficial.
As Larkin turned 30, Detroit posted a picture of him with “Happy Birthday” embedded in the image. The post’s caption, however, was conspicuous by its absence. The text was limited to two birthday and celebration emojis. If the rest of the NHL needed any further proof that Larkin won’t be in Michigan much longer, this supposed-to-be-happy message may have served as confirmation.
Patrick Kane’s admission suggesting Larkin’s trade request played a role in his own exit from Detroit may have added yet another straw, and the camel’s back can take no more. The question now is where Larkin will be traded, but it’s obvious to see there is no way back, and the fans made it equally clear they want their captain out.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 30, 2026
Fans react to Larkin’s birthday
Needless to say, the loyal fan base in Motor City didn’t have many joyful messages for the captain on his birthday. However, many did hope Larkin’s birthday wish would come true—but only because it would mean he’d leave the organization before the 2026-27 NHL season.
“I hope he gets the Birthday wishes that we all want which is for him to find a new team,” a Red Wings fan replied to the team’s birthday post on X. “Where’s the birthday party, Vegas, Florida or Minnesota?” another user ironically asked. “It has been reported that he would like to trade his birthday cake,” a Wings fan commented.
Clearly, the issue is far from forgotten, and with tensions this high it feels impossible for Larkin and the Red Wings to work things out. A trade appears to be the only plausible solution, and it would certainly make Larkin’s potential return to Little Caesars Arena in the future must-see TV.
Detroit sports fans set to lose two stars
The sports landscape in Detroit makes for an interesting contrast. In MLB, the Detroit Tigers appear set to trade their best pitcher and longtime player, Tarik Skubal, ahead of the deadline. The Red Wings face no such ticking clock, but are also on track to part ways with a player drafted by the organization.
Neither has won a championship for Detroit, yet the situations couldn’t be any more different. Skubal appears to be heading out as a hero, while Larkin is already public enemy No. 1. No man is a prophet in his own land, but being born and raised in Michigan, Larkin never expected things to reach this state.
