The Dylan Larkin situation in Detroit has moved well past a routine trade dispute. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it’s now something sharper than that.
“As it stands right now, it’s a staring contest,” Friedman said on NHL Network’s NHL Tonight on Nov. 7.
He followed that up with, “this one, it certainly feels personal between Larkin and the Red Wings.” That’s the kind of line that tells you how far this has drifted from standard front-office business.
The roots of the conflict make the whole thing even messier. Larkin is a Waterford, Michigan native who spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings and wore the captain’s “C” until the team stripped it away in September.
After that, he told the club he would no longer play, and Detroit responded by suspending him without pay on Oct. 29.
What started as a fracture has become a full-blown confrontation.
Friedman has also reported that the list itself nearly changed. On Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast, he said Larkin had considered altering it before deciding not to. That detail matters because it shows just how dug in both sides are.
Detroit, for its part, has acted like a team preparing for life without him. The banner honoring the former captain outside Little Caesars Arena has come down, his cardboard likenesses on the captains’ bench display have been swapped out for the Russian Five, and Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now reported that the team store no longer carries any of his merchandise. The Red Wings haven’t publicly explained those moves, but the message is hard to miss.
Fans have felt the tension, too. Some wore bags over their heads at the Nov. 5 home game against Vegas, and FOX 2 Detroit reported that supporters outside the arena were split over who should take the blame. That kind of divide only adds more heat to an already ugly standoff.
Larkin’s camp has shown no sign of backing down either. Led by agent Pat Brisson, it has been openly frustrated since the suspension and has refused Detroit’s requests to add more teams to the 10-club list. That’s the same position we broke down when we wrote that the Red Wings have one card left to play.
The financial hit is real. TSN reported on Nov. 4 that the suspension costs Larkin $41,237.11 per day, and that number keeps climbing as the standoff drags on. A player willing to absorb that kind of loss is making his point loud and clear.
The Red Wings are also dealing with the fallout on the ice. They’ve lost three straight and scored just three goals during that stretch, a slide we examined when we wrote that the standoff is starting to cost Detroit. Pride may keep both sides locked in place, but it doesn’t help a team that needs help now.
Friedman added another wrinkle when he said, “I’ve heard St. Louis wants to get on it,” putting the Blues in the mix with Buffalo, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Boston as teams outside the list that would like a chance to get involved.
That timing is notable, because Detroit plays in St. Louis on Tuesday night during its current road trip.
Buffalo is already in that same position, as our look at how the list stopped a big Sabres bid showed. If Larkin doesn’t expand his list, those teams stay on the outside looking in.
For interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, the task is simple to say and hard to execute: keep the business separate from the emotion. Detroit doesn’t need to “win” the standoff. It needs to win the trade.
That means staying patient on the price, keeping outside suitors engaged, and continuing to develop internal options like Emmitt Finnie down the middle. If Larkin eventually adds a team like St.
Louis or Buffalo, the Red Wings need to be ready to move quickly. If he doesn’t, they still have to find a deal that works within the 10-team list he approved.
Either way, Friedman’s read fits the moment. This is personal now, and the side that handles that reality best is the one most likely to come out ahead.
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Sent A Chilling Message About Dylan Larkin
Dylan Larkins absence has already started to show up around Little Caesars Arena in ways fans can see before they even get to their seats. After his suspension and departure from the Red Wings, the team took down his banner and removed his cardboard likeness from the building, then shifted that spot to the Russian Five as part of the groups 30th anniversary celebration.
The move has added a sharper edge to an already awkward moment for a franchise trying to manage the fallout around one of its most recognizable players. Larkin merchandise has also been pulled from the team store, even as Patrick Kane Red Wings jerseys remain on sale despite his own departure, leaving the teams handling of the two situations looking noticeably different. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Standoff Is Suddenly Costing Everyone More Than Expected
Dylan Larkins situation has moved well beyond a routine trade request, and the financial cost is already adding up. The Red Wings have suspended him without pay after he refused to report to the rink, and the standoff has now cost him nearly $500,000 in salary while the sides remain stuck in place.
Detroit would like to widen the list of possible trade destinations so it can chase a stronger return, but Larkins camp has not budged. That leaves the Red Wings trying to work through a market that is still too narrow for their liking, with no clear sign yet that the impasse is about to ease. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Trade Buzz Leaves Bruins Fans With One Big Doubt
Dylan Larkins trade chatter has taken on a familiar NHL twist, with the Red Wings still waiting to see whether his list of acceptable destinations grows beyond the roughly ten teams already believed to be in play. Jim Biringer said on TSN Radio that Minnesota is the preferred landing spot, which has only sharpened the sense that Detroit is dealing with a very narrow market as it sorts through what comes next.
For a team trying to navigate a potentially complicated roster decision, that matters. The Red Wings are not just waiting on Larkins preferences to clarify, they are also weighing other ways to reshape the roster if the situation stays stuck, including the possibility of moving players such as Simon Edvinsson. For now, though, the bigger question is whether Detroit gets more flexibility from Larkin or has to start making its own moves without it. [Read more 🡒]