The situation between Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings has been simmering for months, dating back to a trade request that first surfaced after the 2025-26 season. But the standoff just took another sharp turn, with Larkin's camp flatly rejecting the team's plea to widen the net on potential trade destinations.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff contacted Larkin's agents, Pat Brisson and Matt Williams, in recent days to deliver a blunt message. He told them he had exhausted every avenue with the 10 teams on Larkin's approved trade list and was unable to find a deal that made sense for Detroit.
Horcoff then asked whether Larkin would consider adding six to eight additional teams to open up more possibilities. The answer was a firm no.
"Larkin's camp, led by agent Pat Brisson, has told the Red Wings again, I'm told over the last few days, no.'" LeBrun reported on Insider Trading.
LeBrun characterized the dynamic as "a bit of a game of poker," with neither side showing any willingness to blink first. Reports suggest that teams such as Boston, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Buffalo could have been among the clubs Detroit wanted to explore, but Larkin's camp has drawn a hard line.
The former Red Wings captain was suspended without pay last week after informing the organization he'd "had enough." His agent released a statement through LeBrun saying Larkin had been "professional and cooperative" throughout the process but had reached his breaking point with the unresolved situation.
Larkin's frustration has been building since requesting a trade after Detroit missed the playoffs for a 10th straight year. He appeared in 10 games this season, recording two goals and four assists, before stepping away.
Neither side appears ready to budge, and with Larkin still carrying multiple years on the eight-year extension he signed in 2023, this poker game could drag on for quite some time.
