Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade:
”Larkin’s involvement in the trade market is massive. He has a full no-trade clause both this season and next, so his control over the situation does not change July 1. He’s a top-line centre in a league desperate for centres, so there’s going to be a ton of interest. His play at the 4 Nations and Olympics was stellar. That’s going to excite potential trade partners.”
Friedman continues…
“Because no one will talk, we can only guess at the rationale, but there appear to be two critical factors: Detroit’s inability to make the playoffs, and a somewhat frosty relationship between the captain and the team’s top hockey executive. This is also another sign of how the league is changing. Players are getting bolder with these requests — especially in the aftermath of Matthew Tkachuk’s and Quinn Hughes’ power moves into different situations.“
Extremely vague reporting, but consider the source. I felt like the writing was on the wall after last season when Larkin voiced his frustration with no movement at the trade deadline. A key piece of information we’re missing is when he requested the trade. No doubt there will be a market for Larkin, but that no-trade clause is significant.
Steve Yzerman has quite a mess in front of him, a mess that he is largely to blame for, whether you like it or not. However, it’s not like there isn’t an opportunity here for Yzerman to restore faith from Red Wings fans. Larkin’s trade request likely just blew up the offseason plans for several NHL clubs. The return for a player like Larkin should not be modest. So, to me, this sounds like a prime chance to hit the reset button in a meaningful way.
