Dylan Larkin Wants Out: What the Red Wings Captain's Trade Request Actually Means

The face of the Detroit Red Wings wants to leave town.

Dylan Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, called GM Steve Yzerman after the season requesting a trade, then followed up with a short list of teams Larkin would waive his no-trade clause to join. The captain wants out after a long stretch of watching his hometown team miss the postseason.

And Yzerman, characteristically, isn't blinking.

Why Larkin is finally done in Detroit

This wasn't a snap decision.

Larkin has logged a significant number of games in a Red Wings uniform, ranking among the top players in the franchise's history with a notable point total. He was drafted in the first round out of the University of Michigan, inherited the "C" that Yzerman himself once wore, and gave Detroit everything he had. That was the problem.

He has played only a handful of playoff games, all during his rookie season. Detroit hasn't sniffed the postseason since, and the Red Wings have now missed the playoffs for an extended period, the longest active drought in the NHL and the worst in franchise history. Years of selling hope to a fanbase that remembers Stanley Cup runs. That's what Larkin is walking away from.

Then came the Olympics. Larkin helped Team USA win gold, a taste of winning that makes everything he's endured in Detroit feel even more brutal. You win once, and suddenly you can't un-taste it.

Yzerman holds the cards — for now

Yzerman made his first public comments since the news broke at the NHL Draft. He didn't take questions.

He offered a brief statement pointing out that Larkin has several years remaining on his contract, seemingly indicating the Red Wings would not move him without receiving what they consider appropriate value.

That's Yzerman in a nutshell. Patient. Calculating.

He knows Larkin's no-trade clause means the captain needs to agree to any destination. But the list of teams he'd accept is reportedly short — and Yzerman has zero reason to give him away.

The closer historical parallel isn't Eric Lindros refusing to play for the team that drafted him.

Lindros never suited up for Quebec. Larkin has already given the Red Wings many seasons. It's closer to John Tavares leaving Long Island, except Tavares could test free agency. Larkin can't simply walk. Yzerman controls his rights for several more years.

The Patrick Kane wildcard

Here's why the timing matters beyond the headline. Patrick Kane is a pending unrestricted free agent. He just finished a solid season and is evaluating whether to stay or go. Does Kane want to sign a new deal knowing his captain might not be here?

Does Yzerman want to commit long-term money to a roster he might be rebuilding around a trade return?

Free agency opens soon.

Yzerman has to build a roster not knowing whether his best player will be on it. That's a brutal position for any GM, let alone one who played and won here.

What happens next

Yzerman could wait. A trade at the draft or closer to the deadline makes more sense than moving Larkin for whatever the market offers. He could also simply refuse to move him, let Larkin report to training camp, and see if the temperature changes. Several years is a long time to hold a player against his will. But Yzerman has the contract to do it.

The smart money says something gets done.

Eventually. Yzerman is too smart to let this fester into a full-blown distraction. But he's too smart to give Larkin away.

What to watch tonight: whether Kane's name surfaces in trade talks before the draft floor clears. And whether any of the teams on Larkin's list start making noise. The off-season just got a lot more interesting in Hockeytown.