Dylan Larkin Shockingly Requests Trade From Red Wings

On Thursday (Jun. 4) afternoon, Elliotte Friedman dropped a bomb, revealing that Dylan Larkin had requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.

In his article, Friedman wrote: “According to multiple sources, Dylan Larkin recently requested a trade from Detroit.” He continued: “There’s a lot to unpack here. First, should mention that no one would comment. Not Larkin, not agent Pat Brisson, not Red Wings Executive Vice-President & GM Steve Yzerman.”

Larkin, who is 29 years old, scored 34 goals and added 33 assists for 67 points through 74 games last season. Throughout his 808 game career, which he has spent entirely with the Red Wings, he has scored 276 goals and added 367 assists for 643 points.

Friedman also briefly touched on Larkin’s involvement in the trade market, writing: “Larkin’s involvement in the trade market is massive. He has a full no-trade clause both this season and next, so his control over the situation does not change July 1. He’s a top-line centre in a league desperate for centres, so there’s going to be a ton of interest. His play at the 4 Nations and Olympics was stellar. That’s going to excite potential trade partners.”

This comes as a shock to Red Wings fans and fans around the league, but it was made clear by Friedman that Steve Yzerman would not be bullied into making any moves, writing: “There is also the Yzerman factor. He will not be bullied into any scenario he dislikes, no matter how much pressure is applied. It’s hard to believe, though, that someone won’t step up to make it worth his while.”

What Teams Could Step Up to Acquire Larkin?

Since this is a brand new trade request, nobody has had any time to sit down and consider what teams could make sense as a fit for Larkin, or which teams have the assets to pull of a trade of this magnitude. On top of that, there seems to be no glaring reason as to what sparked this trade request, but some people have an idea.

The Red Wings just missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season, and Larkin has only played five career playoff games, back in the 2015-16 season.

In a tweet from Darren Dreger, it seems as though this request has been in the works for a while.

Sources have confirmed Dylan Larkin’s interest in a trade. However, neither team nor agent are willing to disclose details at this point. It’s clear this move has been in the works for a while.— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 4, 2026

With that being said, there are a few teams that make sense for Larkin. The Minnesota Wild seem like an ideal fit, since they took a look at Vincent Trocheck and weren’t able to get that deal done, they could pivot to Larkin and be willing to pay whatever the asking price is to add him to their centre depth, since their need for a first-line centre has been glaring for a while.

The Vegas Golden Knights always seem to be around big names that are involved in trade speculation, so it would come as a surprise to no one if they checked in on Larkin. The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins are two teams who need to add forward depth and could benefit from adding Larkin, but I would consider them as dark horse destinations.

At the end of the day, one team is going to step up and acquire Larkin, but it might take some time before a deal gets done. Friedman did hint at something being discussed between now and the 2026 NHL Draft, but he didn’t guarantee anything would be done any time soon.

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