As the Detroit Red Wings and forward Dylan Larkin continue to look for a trade partner, they have decided he will no longer be the captain.
Detroit made the following statement, saying that Larkin is under contract with the team and will continue to talk privately about his future.
“The Red Wings will begin the 2026-27 season without a captain being named. Any further discussions or decisions regarding this topic will be made once new hockey operations leadership is in place.”
As for Larkin, he is okay to come to training camp. The animosity that has built up over the summer has been palpable among the other NHL teams.
Nevertheless, Larkin is committed to showing up and seeing how it can all shake out.
“Over the last couple of weeks, Red Wings leadership and I have had several in-depth discussions. I’ve appreciated those candid conversations, and I will be at training camp with my teammates. When new leadership is in place, we’ll talk further about the direction of the team. We will keep these conversations private, and I will keep my focus on the season ahead and on the guys in that room.”
Change coming to the Red Wings at some point
While at the 2026-27 NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, Nevada, Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat lamented how he felt about Larkin’s situation.
“It sucks. Doesn’t really change what we think of him,” DeBrincat said in Vegas on Tuesday. “He’s still a great player. He’s been a great friend and a great teammate to me, and we obviously love him here. That’s kind of for him to answer, what’s next for him. But for us, I think it’s all the same. We’re happy to see him at the rink and happy to get started.”
That was said before it became public that the Red Wings will be starting this season without a captain. There won’t even be a trade to complete or a captain to name until a new ‘hockey operations leader’ comes in.
Earlier this week, Detroit Tigers General Manager Jeff Greenberg withdrew his name from consideration to be part of the Red Wings’ front office. Both the Tigers and Red Wings are owned by the Illitch family as well.
Greenberg cited his commitment to bettering the Tigers and finishing what he started over in Major League Baseball.
There are no other candidates known at this time for the still-vacant GM job in the Red Wings organization.
Next possible captain for the Red Wings
Now that the Red Wings have closed the door on Larkin being Detroit’s captain, there will be someone else named the leader in the coming months.
Fans may not see a captain in Detroit for over a full season.
A few names to keep in mind are Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Both players are signed through at least the 2030-31 season and are right around 25 years old.
However, the captaincy decision will be left up to whoever takes over the hockey operations department in Detroit. Raymond and Seider are on long-term deals and have been pillars of the organization since being drafted.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin Stripped of Captaincy