The Detroit Red Wings are holding their ground. Despite the immense pressure created by Dylan Larkin’s trade request ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, the organization is determined to remain patient. With this, the rumors that Larkin will start the season in Detroit are stronger than ever.
With Steve Yzerman no longer serving as general manager, an interim executive has been tasked with handling the day-to-day operations. However, making trades isn’t part of the job description, meaning Larkin likely won’t be dealt until the Red Wings find a permanent general manager. And with Detroit facing a fierce competition for Yzerman’s ideal replacement, Larkin may have to sit tight.
“In the meantime, assistant GM Shawn Horcoff is handling day-to-day responsibilities, though that does not extend to making trades,” Helene St. James reported on an article on Detroit Free Press.
Larkin’s future will remain uncertain
Although Larkin’s trade out of the Red Wings has stalled—especially after Yzerman shockingly announced he would be stepping down—the captain remains determined to leave. Moreover, all signs around the NHL point in the same direction: Larkin will be playing for a new team. Whether that happens sooner or later is the real uncertainty. Along with, of course, where he will end up.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings asked for a trade.
Still, there’s a scenario in which Larkin begins the 2026-27 campaign in Motor City. Most likely, he would be stripped of the “C” on his Winged Wheel sweater. If he is still the captain by October, then the theory that he and the organization may be able to work things out gains some credibility. Perhaps putting the trade on hold is part of the Red Wings’ plan to repair their relationship with their captain.
Are the Red Wings trying to convince Larkin?
It’s impossible to say for certain, but there may be reason to believe it. At the end of the day, Yzerman’s demotion was suspicious, leaving many to wonder whether he was forced to step aside rather than making the decision on his own. If the organization forced Yzerman out, it may have done so as a way to salvage its relationship with the captain. The tension between the general manager and the first-line center was impossible to miss, and the change may have been a last-ditch effort by the franchise.
The Red Wings may have more moves in mind. Delaying a trade decision while conducting a patient search for a new general manager could help them repair their relationship with Larkin. Maybe the next voice in charge is someone Larkin respects and who can convince the homegrown talent to stay in his home state of Michigan. Larkin appears determined to leave, but the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Of course, it’s hard to see the glass as half full given where Detroit currently stands, but crazier things have happened. If Larkin does stay after all, it may take some time to regain the fanbase’s love, but there’s a simple cure for that: winning. And there’s nothing Larkin wants more in his NHL career. After all, that’s what he’s chasing by wanting out of Detroit. If there’s a way for him to achieve that without changing addresses and with a new general manager running hockey operations, it may be the ideal outcome for everyone involved.
