Shawn Horcoff is walking into one of the messiest stretches any interim GM could inherit in Detroit.
The Red Wings have a pile of decisions stacked on top of each other, and the clock is already ticking. In a little over two weeks, Horcoff needs to sort out restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
Dylan Larkin, the team’s disgruntled former captain, has now been suspended from the club for more than two weeks. Detroit has also dropped five straight despite hanging around in games, and Horcoff still has to figure out what to do with pending unrestricted free agents John Gibson, Andrew Copp and Justin Faulk.
And that’s before even getting to the prospects waiting for their chance.
The first major fork in the road centers on Edvinsson and Larkin, the two names hanging over everything else. Neither player wants to be in Detroit, though for different reasons, and both should bring back a strong return. There’s also no shortage of interest around either player, but one of those situations gives the Red Wings more flexibility than the other.
ESPN insider Emily Kaplan said during Thursday night’s broadcast that both deals are expected to come together around the same time, either by December 1 or before the deadline to sign and/or trade Edvinsson.
Detroit, at least on the surface, appears to be moving toward a resolution. Horcoff’s “status quo” comment didn’t reveal much, but the actions around him have been more telling. Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Draper has been seen at San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings games over the past week, and those West Coast teams are said to be very “high” on Edvinsson, with one club making a serious offer.
Larkin’s situation is less settled. He still hasn’t expanded his trade list, and some reports suggest either he or the Red Wings could change their stance by American Thanksgiving.
If Detroit is the side that shifts, the offer already on the table from the Minnesota Wild could be the one they take. If Larkin loosens his position, the Red Wings might be able to line up a deal with the Montreal Canadiens or Boston Bruins.
Either way, someone is going to have to give.
Once those two situations are resolved, Horcoff’s next challenge is making room for the next wave. The prospects are pushing hard.
As of November 13, Carter Bear is tied for second in AHL scoring with 18 points in 13 games. Jesse Kiiskinen looks like a natural fit for the bottom six.
Michal Postava has shown he can handle the job of an NHL starting netminder. And Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson shouldn’t be ruled out either.
To clear space, Horcoff also has to decide what happens with six pending unrestricted free agents: Andrew Copp, Mason Appleton, Andreas Englund, Justin Faulk, Daniil Tarasov and John Gibson. It’s likely Detroit keeps one of Gibson or Tarasov, while the return for the other probably won’t be anything special.
The biggest chips on the board are Copp and Faulk. Faulk still looks like a reliable top-four defenseman who can eat minutes, while Copp profiles as a defense-first depth center who can slide into a contender’s bottom six without much trouble. Appleton and Englund bring value more on the defensive side than the offensive side, and if they move, the return is likely to be a late-round pick rather than anything major.
In Other News...
Red Wings May Have Already Passed On A Massive Dylan Larkin Return
The Dylan Larkin trade chatter that surfaced this week only adds another layer to a situation that has hovered around the Red Wings for months. Michael Russo reported that Detroit passed on a significant offer from the Minnesota Wild in June, a package that was said to be larger than the one now centered on Danila Yurov and multiple first-round picks. With Larkin holding a no-trade clause, any serious conversation has always had to clear a high bar, and Minnesota is among the teams on his expanded approved list.
For Detroit, the real takeaway is less about the specifics of any one proposal and more about how firmly the organization has treated its captain as a player it would not move lightly. Neither team has confirmed the details, and there is no indication a deal is close now, but the reporting suggests the Wild have been circling for a while. Even if the latest talks go nowhere, the fact that Larkins name keeps resurfacing in this context is enough to keep the rumor mill spinning around a player the Red Wings clearly value highly. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Drama Around Dylan Larkin Just Got More Uncomfortable
The Dylan Larkin situation has only gotten more awkward for the Red Wings, with the captains summer trade request still hanging over a team trying to steady itself. Larkin, who signed an eight-year contract with Detroit in 2023, left the club after making the request and was suspended, turning what should have been a straightforward cornerstone relationship into a messy public storyline.
The discomfort spilled into the broadcast booth during a Red Wings game, when ESPN analyst Erik Johnson took aim at players who ask out in the middle of a contract. Meanwhile, interim GM Shawn Horcoff has kept the door open on the roster side, saying the team is willing to listen on trade offers for Larkin and defenseman Simon Edvinsson, even as it hopes to get Edvinsson signed before the December 1 deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Brendan Shanahan Is Suddenly Tied To A Fascinating Red Wings Role
Brendan Shanahans name has suddenly resurfaced in a way that will grab the attention of anyone who remembers the Red Wings championship years. The Hall of Fame winger, who won three Stanley Cups in Detroit and later built a long front-office rsum in Toronto, is being linked to a possible return to the organization in a role that would carry real weight around the franchise.
Shanahans track record gives the idea plenty of intrigue. He reached his 400th career goal back in 1999, finished with 656 goals and 1,354 points, and eventually became president of the Maple Leafs before leaving that post in 2025. For now, though, there has been no official announcement, which leaves Detroit fans waiting to see whether this speculation turns into something more concrete. [Read more 🡒]