Dylan Larkin may have already skated in his last game for the Red Wings.
Friday’s announcement that he would be at camp without the captaincy does not necessarily mean he’ll be in the lineup when the regular season begins. In fact, the more likely path is that Detroit keeps him out altogether.
The reason is straightforward: teams usually avoid dressing players who are close to being traded. One injury can blow up everything, and that’s the kind of risk the Red Wings would be taking with Larkin.
If he does go through camp and everything that comes with it, putting him in a regular-season game would still be a dangerous move. Detroit could finally get a general manager in place, trade talks could start moving, and then one bad hit or awkward landing could change the whole picture.
That kind of concern isn’t hypothetical. Aleksander Barkov suffered a devastating knee injury on the first day of camp last season and missed the entire year. No one is saying that will happen to Larkin, but the danger is there every time he steps on the ice.
There’s also the question of what Detroit would actually be getting if it does play him. With his captaincy gone, would Larkin be fully locked in, or would he just be trying to get through the season while waiting for a deal to materialize?
Would Todd McLellan even want to use him as a top-line center if his future is already in question?
The situation has the feel of an employee who knows the pink slip is coming, even if the official announcement hasn’t been made yet. The job is still there for the moment, but the motivation changes once everyone knows the end is near.
That’s the bind the Red Wings are in with Larkin. He’s been stripped of the captaincy, and he’s not likely to be used in the top six. More likely, he’d be pushed into fourth-line minutes.
At that point, what’s the point of forcing the issue?
The sensible move is for Larkin to come to camp, stay in shape and remain ready until Detroit works out a trade. If he’s only going to play less than 10 minutes a night on fourth-line shifts, there’s little reason to put him out there at all.
For now, the cleanest solution is simple: let Dylan Larkin wait until the inevitable outcome arrives.
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