Why Did Dylan Larkin Ask for a Trade to the Red Wings? – Hockey Writers – Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings fans are still reeling today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Dylan Larkin, Detroit’s captain and longest-tenured player, has requested a trade from the team. This immediately changes what the Red Wings’ plans are for the rest of this season and the next few seasons, and makes Larkin the most worthy player on the trade market.

Dylan Larkin was drafted by Detroit 15th overall back in the 2014 Draft and quickly became the team’s most important player as they exited their competitive window and entered the first of many rebuilds. Larkin is a Michigander who played college hockey at the University of Michigan and was excited to join his childhood team in Detroit when he turned pro.

So, what happened? How did we get to the point where a beloved franchise player who loves playing in his hometown asked to be traded away from Detroit?

No Playoffs for you

After being drafted in 2014, Larkin joined the Red Wings as a full-time player at the start of the 2015-16 season, scoring 45 points, a total surpassed only by franchise legends Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk that year. The Red Wings made the playoffs that season, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in just five games.

Thus ends Larkin’s playing experience.

In his 11 seasons in Detroit, Dylan Larkin has scored 643 regular season points (10th in franchise history) and played in 808 regular season games (17th in franchise history). How many players in Red Wings history have played in more playoff games with a team than Larkin? However, that would be 324.

The Red Wings have struggled to assemble a talented team over the past 10 years in Detroit’s longest playoff drought, and Larkin is rightfully upset. Larkin is arguably the top ten player in team history and the team’s management has not been able to build a playoff team around him even once.

Leadership Conflicts

Although Larkin has been one of Detroit’s best players (as well as being a prominent contributor to Team USA in the 4-Nations Tournament and recent Olympics), the relationship between him and the team has not been all rainbows and unicorns. Problems with the team’s inconsistency, lack of play from top players, and leadership issues are coming from both head coach Todd McLellan and general manager Steve Yzerman.

I don’t think it’s fair to put a lot of the blame for Detroit’s underachievement on Larkin’s shoulders, but he should have been the team’s leader and he certainly wasn’t a game changer by taking advantage of Detroit’s recent slump in March.

So, to summarize the reasons he’s asked so far: Larkin has spent more than a decade of his career giving the Red Wings everything he could for a chance at one long run as a rookie and plenty of questions about his character, leadership, and ability. Hmm. Anything else?

In Search of Greener Pastures

It’s hard not to look at other Atlantic Division teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators who are just entering their rebuilds than Detroit who are already emerging as playoff contenders. The Canadiens were in the Stanley Cup Final at the end of the 2020-21 season, two years removed, and have already made the playoffs the past two seasons.

Larkin has to look at all these teams jumping on the Red Wings (you can add the San Jose Sharks, Utah Mammoth, Anaheim Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets to the list), going through NHL development to rebuild the playoff pipeline and he has to be very frustrated being on a team that doesn’t seem to be able to do the same thing.

He’s probably been a little emboldened by the recent swing at player control, with star players like Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, and Quinn Hughes all recently forcing their way out of bad situations and finding success with their new franchises. High-level players who want to push their way out and find a better team can do so now, and Larkin has a non-movement clause in his contract that allows him to pick and choose the exact teams he’s willing to join.

Where Does Detroit Go From Here?

This is clearly a dark day for the Red Wings franchise, which includes the complete failure of multiple management regimes and multiple players and head coaches. The Red Wings will need to trade Larkin before the start of the 2026-27 season (and maybe before the 2026 draft?), and that means they need to figure out their new approach very quickly.

Obviously, the most logical solution is to build the team’s future around Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, but does that mean Alex DeBrincat, the team’s leading scorer for the past decade, is also out? The Larkin trade may have netted the Red Wings a ton of assets, but this trade must be done carefully so as not to force the franchise into another dark rebuilding decade.