Dylan Larkin’s decision to walk out on the Detroit Red Wings last week has not sat well around the league, even if his own teammates have chosen a softer tone.
Alex DeBrincat kept things diplomatic when asked about the former captain’s exit. “It’s his decision,” Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat said.
“We’re happy with the guys who are here. We’re confident in our group here, so we’re ready to move forward.”
That restraint hasn’t carried over everywhere else in NHL circles. Around other dressing rooms, Larkin is taking heat as players weigh his situation against other recent trade demands.
Late last week, Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov joined the growing list of elite NHL players asking to be moved. That immediately sparked comparisons to Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck, who was recently dealt from the Winnipeg Jets to the New Jersey Devils after making a similar request.
But Kucherov’s situation comes with a major distinction, and his teammates were quick to point it out. He is in the final year of his long-term deal with Tampa Bay, meaning he is still honoring his commitment and will become a UFA at season’s end.
Hellebuyck, by contrast, was only two years into an eight-year contract when he pushed for a move. Larkin was about halfway through the eight-year deal he signed with Detroit.
There’s also the matter of how each player handled the standoff. Kucherov remains in uniform for Tampa Bay while his request plays out.
Hellebuyck did not report to the Jets this season. Larkin reported, but left last week when he decided the Red Wings were not moving with enough urgency on his trade demands.
That difference in approach has been noticed by players around the league.
“I know he’s the type of guy who’s going to just continue to come out and play as hard as he can for this team, because he does care about us,” Lightning forward Brandon Hagel told the Tampa Bay Times about Kucherov.
“It’s not like he committed here for eight years and then asked out, two years into it. He didn’t quit on us. He doesn’t give up on us.”
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There has also been some behind-the-scenes pressure to widen the field, with Detroit still searching for a deal that makes sense under the current restrictions. For a team trying to manage both its present and its future, the stalemate only adds another layer to a situation that has already become more complicated than anyone around the club would prefer. [Read more 🡒]