By AJ Hammerle, Journalist Intern
Publication Date: June 12th, 2026
After 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade.
Larkin is a homegrown talent from Waterford, Michigan, who spent his whole life playing in the state of Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan from 2014-15. He played one season with the team, was a Second Team All-American, and First Team All- Big Ten. He racked up 47 points (15 goals, 32 assists) Â in 35 games with the Wolverines.
He was selected for the Team USA roster at the 2015 IIHF World Championships, where he became the first Michigan student-athlete to earn a medal in international competition with the U.S. men's national team while enrolled in the university. Â
Larkin was drafted 15th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, directly out of the U.S. National Team Development Program.Â
Larkin was also selected for the 2026 United States Olympic Hockey Team. He has two goals and one assist in an effort to help the USA win their first gold medal in hockey since 1980.
WHY IS HE ASKING OUT
Larkin's career in Detroit has had its ups and downs: he made the playoffs in his first season with the team in 2015-16, but since then the Red Wings have failed to return to the postseason.
Larkin was named the 37th captain of the Detroit Red Wings in 2021. Larkin led the team in points in six of 11 seasons with the club; now he is asking out.
According to ESPN and other reports, tensions between Larkin and the organization's leadership had been building for some time before ultimately reaching a tipping point following another disappointing season.Â
The timing of this puts real pressure on Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. Trading a franchise captain is rarely easy, especially one under contract through the 2030-31 season with an $8.7 million annual cap hit. However, Larkin's no-trade clause limits potential destinations and could further complicate negotiations.Â
 According to Red Wings insider Helene St. James, Larkin currently has six teams on his preferred destination list: the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Islanders.
NOW WHAT FOR THE WINGS
Yzerman is now tasked with the challenge of trading a high-caliber player to a list of teams who are contending for a Stanley Cup. Teams like these won’t just give away NHL-ready talent, especially when it currently helps them compete.
Teams like the Panthers could trade a first-round pick, a young player, and a second-round pick, while also making the Red Wings give up a player of their own. It seems like in every mock trade, the Wings have to give up promising goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa.Â
Cossa, 23, spent the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit's American Hockey League affiliate. He started 39 games and had a record of 26-13 with a 2.33 goals-against average. This is good for 7th in the league.
Other teams like the Kings have been rumored to offer a first-round pick and a player for Larkin, cutting Cossa out of the deal.
The Red Wings now have an uncertain future; with Larkin out the door, the Wings can either attempt to build with the core of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, or they can tear it down completely and make what has been a long rebuild even longer.