Dylan Larkin is headed back to Detroit’s training camp, but the Red Wings are making one thing clear: the captaincy is on hold.
That’s the biggest twist in a situation that has already stirred plenty of noise around the organization. Larkin, who had requested a trade, will still report to camp after what he described as several in-depth discussions with Red Wings leadership. He said he’ll stay locked in on his teammates and the season ahead while those talks continue privately.
Detroit’s announcement added another layer. The team said it will open the 2026-27 season without a captain and revisit the decision once new hockey operations leadership is in place. Larkin is still under contract, and the Red Wings said any further discussion about his future will happen behind closed doors after they hire that new hockey operations leader.
The statement did not exactly calm the waters. Fans were already rattled by the trade request, and plenty of them took aim at the team’s handling of the situation.
One follower called the statement a “blandest, nothingburger” and criticized the secrecy surrounding Larkin’s status. Others blasted the organization for not having its management situation sorted out.
Some even said Larkin should apologize for wanting out.
Elsewhere around the league, John Klingberg has closed the book on his playing career. The 34-year-old defenseman has retired after 700 NHL games, with stops in Dallas, Minnesota, Toronto, Edmonton, Anaheim and San Jose.
Klingberg was once one of the league’s most dangerous offensive defensemen, but injuries caught up with him, especially the hip issues that defined the back half of his career. He had three hip surgeries and said his body eventually stopped letting him play at the level he expected. He also said injections, anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers became regular parts of his career.
Even with his playing days over, Klingberg isn’t leaving hockey behind. He has already taken a new job with Swedish broadcaster SVT as a hockey expert.
“It feels very inspiring, actually. It’s something that I’ve thought I could do well moving forward in life when I’m done with hockey.
So I’m very excited to get this chance.”
On the trade front, the New York Islanders are being mentioned as a team in the mix for Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko. Elliotte Friedman said the Islanders are “around that” in terms of interest, but the price tag is expected to be steep for the 25-year-old.
That potential market was part of a broader discussion involving Jimmy Murphy of The Sick Podcast and Pierre McGuire, who talked about Waddell’s comments that Columbus wants any roster move to be player-for-player. Waddell said that if the Blue Jackets move Marchenko, they need to replace the offense coming back the other way. That kind of setup could complicate any idea involving the Montreal Canadiens.
McGuire put it bluntly: “As soon as he said that… I didn’t want to get everybody angry in Montreal, but as soon as he said that, I’m like, yeah, but I don’t see the fit there. Maybe there is; I don’t personally see it.”
And in Vancouver, Jake DeBrusk looks less likely to be on the move than some had thought. DeBrusk had previously sounded frustrated about the idea of a rebuild, but he later said those comments came during an emotional season.
He said he never asked for a trade and still believes he can help the Canucks win. DeBrusk is signed through 2030-31 at a $5.5 million AAV and holds a full no-movement clause.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Face One Big Kirill Marchenko Trade Problem
Don Waddell has at least left the door open on Kirill Marchenko, saying the Blue Jackets will listen if another team makes an offer worth considering. For now, though, Columbus is not actively shopping the winger, and that matters because Marchenko has become the kind of player other clubs monitor closely when they think a team might be tempted to move a scorer for future assets.
The wrinkle is that Waddell does not sound interested in any swap that strips away Marchenkos offense without helping replace it, which makes the market harder to navigate. Montreal and the Islanders have both checked in, but there is skepticism around whether the right fit is even there, and until a deal can bring back immediate help for the lineup, this looks more like background noise than a move waiting to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Don Waddell Knows What Must Change After Blue Jackets Collapse
Don Waddell spent the aftermath of a disappointing Blue Jackets season laying out why the club had to look inward as much as outward. After a coaching change and a finish that left Columbus outside the playoffs, the GM pointed to offseason work on the roster and behind the scenes, including changes in the scouting department designed to sharpen the teams European reach. He also stressed that the Jackets need more consistent contributions throughout the lineup, not just from the top end, if they want the season to look different next spring.
The other adjustments reach beyond the ice, and they say plenty about how the organization is trying to reset. Columbus is moving its game presentation to a radio simulcast, a decision tied to the clubs financial picture as it sorts through the ripple effects of reduced television revenue and tighter spending. For Waddell, the message is clear: the Jackets are trying to change not just how they play, but how they operate. [Read more 🡒]
Kirill Marchenko Just Entered A Make-Or-Break Blue Jackets Season
Kirill Marchenko is staying in the Columbus Blue Jackets picture through the 2026-27 season, and for now the focus is on what comes next on the ice rather than what his contract will look like later. Columbus has spent the summer treating this as an important year for the winger, with expectations that he can push his scoring up and add more of a playmaking element to his game.
Marchenko already sits at the center of a season that feels like it could shape the Blue Jackets' longer-term plans around him. If his production takes the step the organization wants, it would strengthen his case when extension talks eventually arrive, and it would also give Columbus another high-end offensive building block as it tries to keep moving forward. [Read more 🡒]