Larkin wants out?

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, buddha said:

and if he says "i'll only go to minnesota" he can sit his happy ass at home and not get paid.

how do they not pay him? - he'll show up and suit up and then Mac can leave him in the pressbox but he'll still get paid.

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, NorthWoods said:

Fatigue plays a role?? 

bad MCL as well was the report I think.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Jason_R said:

Well, it was clear at the Olympics that the American boys wanted to team up. I didn’t think it would happen this way — I didn’t think Larkin would ever want to leave his hometown, or that he had the guts to ask for a trade — but I think it will turn out well for the Wings. I think it was LeBrun who said he expects a dozen teams to be in the mix. Lots of teams are right to believe that Larkin could be the missing piece. 

Yup. This can be Yzerman's  chance to give his rebuild a big momentum swing if he can make a good deal or three.

[buddha]

37 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

how do they not pay him? - he'll show up and suit up and then Mac can leave him in the pressbox but he'll still get paid.

if he sits out in order to force a trade.

but all the rumblings are theyre already working on deals.

lebrun compared it to when yzerman traded marty st louis to his preferred destination.

[NorthWoods]

1 hour ago, Jason_R said:

Well, it was clear at the Olympics that the American boys wanted to team up. I didn’t think it would happen this way — I didn’t think Larkin would ever want to leave his hometown, or that he had the guts to ask for a trade — but I think it will turn out well for the Wings. I think it was LeBrun who said he expects a dozen teams to be in the mix. Lots of teams are right to believe that Larkin could be the missing piece. 

And for some team he could be.  But not this team.   

This could be like the Stafford deal and help both teams. 

[Jason_R]

https://www.shapshotshockey.com/p/what-im-hearing-about-dylan-larkin

Lots of interesting passages, including “They don’t speak unless they’ve had to, they haven’t for a while,” one agent said. “That’s kind of become common knowledge about the situation in Detroit. Steve and Larkin co-existed, but they didn’t get along at all, and that’s kind of been known by others for a bit now.”

[gehringer_2]

46 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

https://www.shapshotshockey.com/p/what-im-hearing-about-dylan-larkin

Lots of interesting passages, including “They don’t speak unless they’ve had to, they haven’t for a while,” one agent said. “That’s kind of become common knowledge about the situation in Detroit. Steve and Larkin co-existed, but they didn’t get along at all, and that’s kind of been known by others for a bit now.”

wouldn't be surprised. OTOH, how much difference should it make if a player doesn't like his GM? How often do they need to talk?  They move in the different spheres. The Tigers all hated Jim Campbell and his FO operation in the 80's and were a great championship team anyway.

Edited Saturday at 04:08 AM by gehringer_2

[Jason_R]

8 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

wouldn't be surprised. OTOH, how much difference should it make if a player doesn't like his GM? How often do they need to talk?  They move in the different spheres. The Tigers all hated Jim Campbell and his FO operation in the 80's and were a great championship team anyway.

Yes, I’m sure there are lots of players who don’t have good relationships with their general manager. In this case, the general manager is one of the franchise’s icons, and the player has been struggling to live in his shadow.

I wonder if the dynamic was more like Steve telling Larkin, you have more in you and here is how to bring it out, or more like him telling Larkin you aren’t good enough.

[gehringer_2]

39 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

I wonder if the dynamic was more like Steve telling Larkin, you have more in you and here is how to bring it out, or more like him telling Larkin you aren’t good enough.

I don't know whether it was an actual point of contention between them, but as a fan, I think the failure to have ever put a reasonably good, strong, hard nose physical player next to Larkin (and Raymond) has been their single biggest failure in offensive team building.  Bert was close to that guy, but they never replaced him. Maybe Kasper was supposed to be that guy but he just didn't fill the role and maybe even too little too late. Skill players need that counter weight on the ice with them to excel. Gretzky had his Messier etc.

 

Edited Saturday at 01:40 PM by gehringer_2

[Jason_R]

https://dollarstoreyzerplan.substack.com/p/exploring-realistic-dylan-larkin

This is the most comprehensive assessment I have seen of possible trade packages. Author sees Florida as the strongest fit. Would center around Lundell with picks, and would get Larkin to play with a Tkachuk. Not sure the trade pieces proposed here are quite enough but Lundell means you don’t have a giant sucking sound at the C position, just a steady leak unless/until the kids can step up. 

[slothfacekilla]

I wonder if there's a deal to be made the the Stars revolving around Robertson.  Would be nice to pry Wyatt Johnston away from them but I doubt they could. 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, slothfacekilla said:

I wonder if there's a deal to be made the the Stars revolving around Robertson.  Would be nice to pry Wyatt Johnston away from them but I doubt they could. 

they need to reset around seider/raymond.  a young, cost controlled center and top picks are what they need.  

[buddha]

4 hours ago, Jason_R said:

https://dollarstoreyzerplan.substack.com/p/exploring-realistic-dylan-larkin

This is the most comprehensive assessment I have seen of possible trade packages. Author sees Florida as the strongest fit. Would center around Lundell with picks, and would get Larkin to play with a Tkachuk. Not sure the trade pieces proposed here are quite enough but Lundell means you don’t have a giant sucking sound at the C position, just a steady leak unless/until the kids can step up. 

 

On 6/4/2026 at 6:35 PM, buddha said:

trade ideas:

Kings:

To DET: C Jimmy Lombardi, 2026 LAK 17th Overall, 2026 CBJ 43rd Overall, 2027 LAK 1st Round Pick, 2028 LAK 1st Round Pick

Wild:

To DET: C Charlie Stramel, 2027 MIN 1st Round Pick, 2028 MIN 1st Round Pick, 2029 MIN 1st Round Pick

flyers:

C Jack Nesbitt, C Jett Luchanko, 2026 PHI 21st Overall, 2027 TOR 1st Round Pick

Lightning:

C/RW Sam O’Reilly, C Ethan Czata, 2026 TBL 58th Overall, 2027 TBL 2nd Round Pick, 2028 TBL 1st Round Pick

Leafs:

2026 TOR 1st Overall

Cbus:

C/W Kent Johnson, LD Jackson Smith, 2026 CBJ 14th Overall, 2026 STL 43rd Overall

Bruins:

C Fraser Minten, C William Moore, 2026 BOS 23rd Overall, 2028 FLA 1st Round Pick

Panthers:

C Anton Lundell, 2026 FLA 9th Overall, 2026 FLA 40th Overall

from Sloth's favorite Dollar Store Yzerman Substack.

 

[Jason_R]

Maybe only a quarter of the league in the running, and not half. Either way, I don’t buy that Yzerman is backed into a corner. He is positioned for an auction, and there will be multiple contending teams making offers. If Larkin gets too picky, he stays on the Wings, loses the C, and suffers the indignity of incessant boos until he finally accepts a trade. 

PS: Can he ever show his face in his hometown again after this? 

[Jason_R]

Maybe only a quarter of the league in the running, and not half. Either way, I don’t buy that Yzerman is backed into a corner. He is positioned for an auction, and there will be multiple contending teams making offers. If Larkin gets too picky, he stays on the Wings, loses the C, and suffers the indignity of incessant boos until he finally accepts a trade. 

PS: Can he ever show his face in his hometown again after this? 

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, Jason_R said:

Maybe only a quarter of the league in the running, and not half. Either way, I don’t buy that Yzerman is backed into a corner. He is positioned for an auction, and there will be multiple contending teams making offers. If Larkin gets too picky, he stays on the Wings, loses the C, and suffers the indignity of incessant boos until he finally accepts a trade. 

PS: Can he ever show his face in his hometown again after this? 

depends a lot on what he says publicly between now and his (assumed) exit. Most fans understand sports today is a business for players as well as owners.

[Motor City Sonics]

Larkin was quite honest after last season's trade deadline when the Wings did nothing.  He told the media that it deflated the whole team.  That's where things broke. 

It's so bad that the team captain, a guy that grew up rooting for his hometown team, wants out.  

But honestly - why not?    They haven't done anything with him here.    He always seems to get injured about 3/4 of the way through the season - and that's when they usually collapse.     

So why not?   Maybe they get lucky and get a hockey version of Ben Wallace. 

[gehringer_2]

14 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

Larkin was quite honest after last season's trade deadline when the Wings did nothing.  He told the media that it deflated the whole team.  That's where things broke. 

It's so bad that the team captain, a guy that grew up rooting for his hometown team, wants out.  

But honestly - why not?    They haven't done anything with him here.    He always seems to get injured about 3/4 of the way through the season - and that's when they usually collapse.     

So why not?   Maybe they get lucky and get a hockey version of Ben Wallace. 

The longer I think about it the more I agree with the sentiment up thread that he is doing them the biggest favor he can. The rebuild is dead in the water. The team is way short of good enough and there are nothing but NHL average players on the horizon in GR, if that.

He's given the best 10 yrs of his career to a team that went nowhere, he's got every right to go try something else, and the team gets a chance (whether they like it or not!) to do a reset they otherwise wouldn't. You can absolve Yzerman and blame it all on Holland, but that's still not Larkin's cross to bear.

[lordstanley]

By April of this year I loved the idea of Larkin getting traded. But I thought it would be initiated by Yzerman asking Larkin for which teams he’d waive his NMC. Anyways, I don’t blame Larkin for wanting out and I won’t blame Yzerman for agreeing to do so. I do blame Yzerman for not surrounding Larkin with enough good players and I do blame Larkin for repeated late-season sags. 

Edited Monday at 12:05 AM by lordstanley

[buddha]

helene reporting that larkin's three teams are vegas, florida, and minnesota.

[buddha]

the deals in max's article today are puke worthy.  poo poo platters.

[gehringer_2]

30 minutes ago, buddha said:

the deals in max's article today are puke worthy.  poo poo platters.

a lot of these are looking at comparable players or $, but the only right way for the Wings to make this deal is to get high picks pick or young players. They don't need someone comparable to Larkin, they need to get at least one future high pick, lottery tickets to try to find players that will make them better than they were with Larkin before Raymond and Seider are on the wrong side of 30.

If Yzerman's main concern is to get back a player to replace Larkin in the short term, he will have wasted the chance.

Edited Monday at 02:26 PM by gehringer_2

[lordstanley]

47 minutes ago, buddha said:

helene reporting that larkin's three teams are vegas, florida, and minnesota.

I’d rather let Larkin pout and cry in the corner of the press box for the next 3 years than let him call the shots. Screw his 3 team list. I think Yzerman should ask him for 10 teams or else Larkin can bite it. 

Edited Monday at 02:36 PM by lordstanley

[Hongbit]

6 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

I’d rather let Larkin pout and cry in the corner of the press box for the next 3 years than let him call the shots. Screw his 3 team list. I think Yzerman should ask him for 10 teams or else Larkin can bite it. 

Thats your fan emotions getting the best of you. How would this help the Wings in any way?  I can’t really think of a dumber idea.

 Pay one of your best players not to play, have him take up cap space and don’t use his trade value to acquire a quality player(s) that want be here.  

[gehringer_2]

20 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

I’d rather let Larkin pout and cry in the corner of the press box for the next 3 years than let him call the shots. Screw his 3 team list. I think Yzerman should ask him for 10 teams or else Larkin can bite it. 

If Yzerman ends up with Larkin sitting and no return, he signs his own ticket out of town because that's going to be more years of stagnation in the Wilderness with no prospect for improvement. Plus I think Ilitch is going to hate that kind of drama - could be wrong on the latter but his vibe has always been about having happy teams.

Edited Monday at 02:54 PM by gehringer_2