Dylan Larkin is no longer the captain of the Detroit Red Wings.
But as the 2026-27 NHL season dawns, Larkin is still a member of Detroit’s roster, and he’s expected to play in games as the season gets rolling.
Of course, that’s a bit surprising to anyone who was following the NHL’s early offseason developments. Larkin quickly requested a trade, and as the Red Wings shook up their front office, it looked like new leadership would have to move Larkin eventually.
Maybe that’s still the case, but he hasn’t gone anywhere yet, and it remains an awkward way to start the new campaign.
Why is Dylan Larkin Still a Red Wings Player?
Larkin remains with the Red Wings because Detroit has opted not to trade him yet.
Larkin’s request is still active, but it sounds like it hasn’t guaranteed a deal will actually get done.
“Teams that have inquired about Larkin over the past several weeks say they aren’t sure the Red Wings know what they want to do,” ESPN’s Emily Kaplan wrote on Tuesday. “They also believe that, to complete a trade, Detroit will have to come down from its asking price and potentially become more willing to accept futures.”
Larkin didn’t make it easy on the Red Wings by coming up with only a small list of teams that he’d be willing to go to.
If it was an open bidding war for Larkin, plenty of squads would be interested. But evidently the teams Larkin wants didn’t necessarily make great offers to the Red Wings.
Is Dylan Larkin Going to Play?
It certainly sounds like Larkin will be suiting up for the Red Wings in the meantime.
It’ll be fascinating to see what kind of reception he gets from the fans in Detroit.
“There’s still a path forward for the homegrown center to remain with the Red Wings,” Kaplan writes. “Larkin was nicked up entering camp but is expected to start the season with Detroit and see where it goes. As far as I understand, the trade request still stands, though there are no guarantees it gets done this season.”
Making matters even a bit more confusing is that the Red Wings currently just have an interim general manager, Shawn Horcoff.
“The GM search this summer yielded no long-term hire, with Shawn Horcoff getting the interim title in September,” Kaplan writes. “Detroit says Horcoff has full authority, but how aggressive can an interim GM be in making a franchise-altering trade?”
All of that has added up to Larkin still being in Detroit as the season begins, no longer with a ‘C’ but still with a big role to play on the Red Wings — at least for now.
Why Dylan Larkin is Still With Red Wings, Hasn’t Been Traded