The Detroit Red Wings’ situation with captain Dylan Larkin remains unresolved, but time is quickly running out for the organization to find a solution. With Detroit still without a permanent general manager, The Detroit News Red Wings beat writer Ted Kulfan believes there is a legitimate possibility Larkin reports to training camp and begins the season with the team.Speaking with Jeremy Otto, Kulfan pointed to Detroit’s current front-office situation and the limited time remaining before training camp as two major factors working against a potential trade. “The Wings don’t have a general manager, so that doesn’t help matters,” Kulfan said. “The time is running short.”Larkin requested a trade from the Red Wings following the 2025-26 season, creating an uncertain future for the longtime Detroit captain. However, the longer the offseason progresses without a trade, the more realistic it becomes that Larkin could simply return to the team when camp opens.Kulfan said he could “definitely see Larkin reporting to camp, starting the season with the Wings and a couple weeks after that.” That possibility would create an intriguing situation for a Red Wings team that has spent much of the offseason trying to determine what comes next.For now, though, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious resolution. Larkin’s contract, no-trade protection and reported limitations on potential destinations make any trade complicated. Detroit also has to consider whether moving its captain is worth the return it would receive, particularly after Larkin posted 34 goals and 67 points last season.Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71). Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectKulfan pointed out that Detroit would be missing approximately 65 goals if Larkin, Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk were all out of the lineup. “65 goals missing with Larkin away, as well as Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk,” Kulfan said. “It’d be a grim situation with all three gone.”That makes the possibility of Larkin returning even more significant. There is, of course, the question of whether Larkin could comfortably return to a locker room after requesting a trade. Kulfan doesn’t appear particularly concerned about that aspect of the situation. "I would think he would be accepted in the locker room, that won't be an issue," Kulfan said.That could leave Detroit with an opportunity it perhaps didn’t expect when the offseason began: trying to repair the relationship rather than immediately ending it. Kulfan described “rectify” as the appropriate word for what everyone would ideally like to see happen, and there is a reason for that. "I think rectify is a good word, that's what everyone wants in a perfect world," Kulfan said. Larkin has spent his entire NHL career in Detroit, serving as captain while becoming one of the most important players in the franchise. The Red Wings have struggled to escape their lengthy playoff drought, but removing their top center without a clear replacement would make that challenge considerably harder.The bigger question may come later, even if Larkin reports to camp and starts the season with Detroit, his future beyond that point remains uncertain. Kulfan noted that the situation could become more complicated once the Red Wings eventually have a new general manager in place.That leaves open the possibility that Larkin could begin the season in Detroit without necessarily finishing it there. For now, though, the Red Wings may simply have to see what happens. With the clock ticking, limited trade options and no permanent general manager in place, Larkin reporting to training camp is becoming increasingly plausible.If he does, Detroit could have an opportunity to accomplish what might ultimately be best for everyone involved: finding a way to rectify the situation and keep its captain in the Winged Wheel.