Dylan Larkin will sit out until the Detroit Red Wings complete a trade, after interim general manager Shawn Horcoff suspended him without pay Thursday, and Horcoff sent a strong message to Larkin in an 11-minute afternoon press conference just before the Red Wings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks, saying that he would not be rushed into making a trade, regardless of Larkin's unpaid suspension.
With no deal imminent and a limited no-trade clause in Larkin's contract, Detroit now faces an open-ended wait for a return it considers favorable.
Horcoff took over as interim GM on Sept. 15 after Steve Yzerman was removed from the role in July, according to NHL.com. He spoke to reporters before the Red Wings faced the Blackhawks without their three-time All-Star center.
"Received the call from Dylan's agent today just saying that Dylan … wasn't going to be coming to the rink, and no longer want to be a part of the Red Wings," Horcoff said at his press conference .
The message caught him off guard. Horcoff believed Larkin had cleared the toughest early obstacles after requesting a trade over the summer, including returning for training camp and facing the home crowd on opening night while injured.
"My initial plan was to try to fix it," Horcoff said. "I wanted to try to do what I could to keep Dylan here in a Red Wing jersey, and clearly that was unsuccessful."
He sensed frustration building during the recent road trip, but said "it was a bit of a surprise for me this morning."
The Red Wings answered with a suspension without pay.
"We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates," the team said, according to NHL.com .
Coach Todd McLellan had already ruled Larkin out against Chicago, and the center skipped practice.
"Dylan's had enough of the situation," agent Pat Brisson said, according to NHL.com . Larkin's move followed talks over the previous 24 hours and was intended to push a deal along, according to Sportsnet .
Most players learned of the decision on their phones rather than from management, according to Horcoff.
"Unfortunately with social media nowadays, I think probably the majority of them found out on their phones," Horcoff said. He planned to speak with the leadership group that night and will address the full team Friday.
"They've done an amazing job this year dealing with a lot of outside noise," Horcoff said of the players. "I've been very, very impressed with our leadership group, which has grown substantially since the start of the year."
He also credited Larkin.
"Dylan's been here for 12 years. He's put a lot of great years into a Red Wing jersey and created a lot of friendships in there," Horcoff said. He declined to speak for the Detroit players=, calling their mood "pretty raw."
Red Wings Make Final Dylan Larkin Decision After Trade Request Drama
"Since I kind of got the job, from day one, I've worked extensively, exhaustively with CAA to find a solution for Dylan," Horcoff said. Detroit has spoken with the teams on Larkin's approved list and with others that called on their own. That list has grown to 10 teams, according to The Athletic .
"I'm open to all different kinds of deals," Horcoff said, "and really we're just trying to find something that is fair for a return for someone of Dylan's caliber." He pointed to the difficulty of fitting Larkin's salary into another roster while matching assets going back.
"I am prepared to wait as long as necessary to make sure that the return that we get is something that is good for the Red Wings overall," he said. Adding teams to the approved list would help, but "we're not there yet."
Larkin is in year four of an eight-year, $69.6 million deal that carries an $8.7 million cap hit and, during the suspension, forfeits more than $41,000 per day, according to The Detroit News . He also lost the captaincy in mid-September , after holding it since January 2021.
Horcoff, 48, was born Sept. 17, 1978, in Trail, British Columbia. He starred at Michigan State, earning CCHA Player of the Year honors in 1999-2000 and a Hobey Baker finalist nod, and the Edmonton Oilers drafted him in the fourth round, 99th overall, in 1998.
He logged 1,008 NHL games and 511 points across stints with Edmonton, Dallas and Anaheim. He captained the Oilers from 2010 to 2013 and played in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
Horcoff joined Detroit in 2016 as director of player development and was promoted to assistant GM in 2022 , also running the Grand Rapids Griffins. He reports to CEO Chris Ilitch and remains a candidate for the permanent job .
As of tonight, Larkin remains suspended without pay and it appears that he will not play again until he approves a trade that also fits Detroit's long-term goals. No deal is close, salary and asset matching remains difficult, and the Red Wings took the ice against Chicago without him.
Red Wings Blockbuster Trade Pitch Unloads Dylan Larkin, Lands $26 Million Goalie
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