Red Wings Confused by Latest Larkin Trade Development

The Dylan Larkin trade drama in Detroit continues to take unexpected turns. After speaking with the media on the first day of Red Wings training camp, Larkin declined to elaborate on why he requested a trade. He also made it clear that he never wanted the request to become public, seemingly hinting that neither he nor his agent was responsible for making the information known.

A recent report suggests the Red Wings are dumbfounded by Larkin’s comments, given that there’s no reason at all that they would want that trade request to be public knowledge.

Ryan Hana on the Winged Wheel Podcast reports: “That got out, I don’t think, from the Detroit side of things. Detroit had absolutely zero interest in getting that out there, and I talked to so many people from the Red Wings side of things who themselves said: We are shocked by this news.”

The Red Wings are going through their own hardships. Steve Yzerman is out as GM, and Shawn Horcoff is interim manager. They still haven’t finalized a decision on who will run the team day to day. Meanwhile, they’re still unsure what to do about Larkin. Horcoff seemingly has the authority to make a trade, but it’s not crystal clear he can do so without approval.

The Red Wings would want a player who can help immediately if they’re going to move their longtime No. 1 center.