Dylan Larkin’s absence from the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup on Thursday night did not keep his name out of the conversation.
While Detroit was falling 5-4 to the Florida Panthers, ESPN analyst Erik Johnson used the broadcast to go after players who try to move on before their contracts are finished, and he made it clear where he stood on the issue.
“I can’t stand these guys halfway through their contracts that they signed in good faith with their team, now bailing ship and wanting to go for greener pastures,” Johnson said during Thursday’s ESPN broadcast of the Red Wings-Panthers game.
He added, “This isn’t exclusive to Dylan Larkin. Lots of guys around the league are doing it.
“As a former player, I don’t like these guys abandoning their team midseason, mid-contract.”
Johnson, who played 17 NHL seasons, was the first overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche.
Larkin signed an eight-year contract with Detroit in 2023 carrying an AAV of $8.75 million, a deal that runs through the 2030-31 season. He requested a trade in the summer, and when those demands weren’t being met, he left the Red Wings last month. He is currently under team suspension.
The trade situation around Larkin still does not sound close to resolution, either. Speaking to NHL.com at the NHL GM meetings, Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff described the talks as “Status Quo.”
“Ideally, we get something that works for both sides, right?” Horcoff said. “But it has to be something that helps this team.”
Horcoff also addressed another unresolved situation in Simon Edvinsson. The Red Wings would prefer to get the restricted free agent defenseman signed, but with the December 1 deadline approaching, Horcoff said he’s not going to shut the door on outside interest.
“I’d still like to sign Simon, but I think when it’s someone like that and the situation that we’re in, you can’t help but take calls,” Horcoff said. “It’s my job to do what’s in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings.
“I’m going to take all those calls and hear what people have to say.”
In Other News...
Red Wings May Have Already Passed On A Massive Dylan Larkin Return
The idea of Dylan Larkin ever being moved out of Detroit has always carried a heavy dose of hypotheticals, but a new report suggests the Red Wings may have already been closer to that crossroads than many realized. Michael Russo reported that Minnesota put a significant offer on the table in June, and the package was said to be larger than the one now being discussed around Danila Yurov and multiple first-round picks.
Larkins no-trade clause still gives him control over where any conversation can go, and he has expanded his approved list to 10 teams, including the Wild. Neither side has confirmed the specifics of the earlier offer, and there is no sign a deal is close, but the report alone is enough to remind Red Wings fans how much interest there is in their captain and how delicate any future trade discussion would be. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Red Wing Jake Walman Is Back In A Familiar Babcock Mess
Jake Walmans latest stop has taken a familiar turn. The former Red Wings defenseman is now in Edmonton, where coach Mike Babcock has made him a healthy scratch for six of the last eight games even though Walman remains the Oilers second-highest paid defenseman. It is a jarring spot for a player who has been trying to carve out a regular role and instead has found himself watching from the press box more often than he expected.
Walman has appeared in 11 games this season, but the usage has been thin and the results have not helped his cause, with a minus-5 rating over his last five games. For Detroit followers, the pattern feels awfully recognizable: a player starts out well, earns trust, and then seems to drift out of favor under Babcock. It is the same old question with a new jersey, and for Walman, the answer still feels unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away In Brutal Collapse
For nearly an entire night, the Red Wings had the kind of road result that can steady a season. They built a three-goal lead against the Panthers and scored four times through the first 59 minutes, putting themselves in position to leave with a needed win and a little breathing room after a rough stretch.
Instead, the final 21 minutes turned into a collapse that Detroit could not stop. Florida scored four unanswered goals to steal a 5-4 regulation win, extending the Red Wings skid to five straight and leaving another winnable game to sit alongside the others that have slipped away. [Read more 🡒]