Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade, a league source told The Athletic. The request, which was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, could have franchise-changing implications for the Red Wings.Larkin, who will turn 30 at the end of July, has been Detroit’s captain since 2021 and is the only current Red Wing who was on the team for its last playoff appearance in 2016. He has played 11 seasons in Detroit — his hometown team, growing up in nearby Waterford, Mich. — with 643 points in 808 games. The Red Wings, however, have not made the playoffs since Larkin’s rookie year in 2015-16, a 10-year drought that stands as the longest active streak in the NHL.Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman and Larkin appeared to clash publicly a year ago after the center’s comments about the Red Wings’ lack of moves at the 2025 trade deadline. Certainly, Larkin’s frustration has, at times, been evident through the playoff drought.
Still, this is a shocking development.Entering the summer, the Red Wings were, of course, frustrated by yet another late-season collapse, but still sounded like a team trying to get over the hump and into the playoffs. When asked after the season about his patience, Larkin spoke like someone who expected to be back in Detroit.Discussing the eight-year contract he signed back in 2023, Larkin said: “I knew that we had work to do, and I knew that we weren’t going to win the Stanley Cup the next day, but I wanted to be here, and I want to be here, to help this team in any way I can to win a Stanley Cup.”Now, with this news, the entire outlook changes for the Red Wings.Larkin has a full no-trade clause, which complicates the situation further. He will have some control over the process, which could limit the Red Wings’ options.While Larkin has not had much team success in Detroit, he is coming off the biggest win of his career in the Olympics. Larkin was on the ice for the winning goal, scored by Jack Hughes, in the U.S.’s 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in the gold medal game.“Just to keep thinking back that we did it,” Larkin said shortly after the win. “And that feeling of when Jack scored, throwing our gloves in the air, not knowing what to do, just screaming, yelling for 20 minutes on the ice, celebrating with guys — it was memories I’ll remember forever.”Jun 4, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
