The Detroit Red Wings are at a major crossroads under General Manager Steve Yzerman. Fair or not, the Red Wings needed to be in the playoffs by now. They have not made the playoffs since 2016. That is a decade (10 years) of making no playoffs. There is a reason why Dylan Larkin has asked for a trade.
Outside of the obvious, when it comes to the playoffs. Larkin has played more Olympic games than Stanley Cup Playoff games, but there is tension between him and the general manager. But he can see that Detroit is entering Buffalo Sabres territory when it comes to entering a second phase of a rebuild.
A Dylan Larkin Trade: Futures or a Hockey Trade?
Remember, Buffalo ended a 14-year playoff drought. But it took multiple rebuilds to do it. Not to mention, it never looks good when a team misses the playoffs for that long. Things are not getting easier for Detroit in the Atlantic Division, as the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are poised for bounce-back seasons.
Not to mention, teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres have passed them by in their rebuilds. But losing Dylan Larkin could have a massive ripple effect on the club, which wanted to have an active offseason.
As Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Power Play with Steve Kouleas and Jason Strudwick, if Larkin gets traded, what happens to Alex DeBrincat? Does he want to leave? How about Patrick Kane? Does he come back? How Yzerman handles the price will determine a lot for the Red Wings moving forward.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
If the Detroit Red Wings Miss the Playoffs Again, Would They Consider Trading Alex DeBrincat?
Steve Kouleas: “Dylan Larkin, what’s the latest”
Dave Pagnotta: “Status quo for the time being? We know about the three initial teams. Those are the top of his list, with Minnesota, Vegas, and Florida, but there are other teams that are poking around to see, hey, is this a possibility for us, and would this be something that a Steve Yzerman would consider, and then be subsequently, would that be something that Dylan Larkin would consider?
But status quo, as far as I know. Their conversations are ongoing. But now that it’s out there, Detroit definitely wants to keep a very tight lid on things. They weren’t exactly thrilled when it got out, but I guess they shouldn’t be shocked at this stage, given how things have unfolded there. They definitely want to keep a lid on things to try to navigate the trade waters and try to maximize the best return for them.
This is another interesting one, guys, because this is now a scenario where at least it sounds like it’s not going to be a hockey trade, maybe that’s what they prefer in terms of talent for talent, but it does sound like there’s more of an opportunity to move in, for prospects and draft picks, and good prospects, certainly, but, but guys on the cusp of being in the NHL, along with picks, and if that’s the case, what happens with the rest of this group?
What happens with the rebuild? Does this get prolonged, and what happens with Alex DeBrincat as well? If Larkin is out, and it is a primarily futures-driven return. What happens with the DeBrincat, who’s entering the final year of his deal? He’s got a 16-team no-trade list. Can’t imagine that he would be too thrilled going through a rebuild, even beyond the one that they’re already going through.”
How Bold Will the Detroit Red Wings Get in the Offseason?
DeBrincat went to Detroit to play with Patrick Kane and Larkin. He was told that this team would be competitive. The Red Wings have come up short in making the playoffs the last several years. So if Larkin gets traded, Detroit will be building around Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider.
Ideally, the Red Wings get pieces back to help them now. That is why it feels like there could be a third team involved to get the assets Detroit wants. GM Steve Yzerman will wait like Joe Sakic did when he traded Matt Duchene out of Colorado. There are teams that can give the Red Wings what they want, but Larkin has to be convinced to go there.
All eyes are on Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings. This is a big offseason for them because it will determine what their future looks like.
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