Larkin Sidelined for Season Start
The Detroit Red Wings have settled the question of whether Dylan Larkin will play in their season opener, and the answer is no. Head coach Todd McLellan confirmed Thursday that the center will miss the first two games of the campaign because of an upper-body injury. Detroit begins its season at home Friday against the New York Rangers, then plays a second game before Larkin could potentially return. The 30-year-old has been managing the injury since before training camp and sat out the entire preseason schedule.[S1]
Although Larkin rejoined practice this week, he was used as an extra forward rather than being slotted onto one of Detroit's regular lines, a sign that he is not yet ready for game action. The team is hopeful he can return for its third game, which comes Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. Until then, the Red Wings must open a season in which they are again trying to end a playoff absence that has stretched to 10 years without a postseason appearance.[S1]
Trade Request and Captaincy Fallout
Larkin's situation off the ice is as unsettled as his health. After the 2025-26 season, he asked Detroit to trade him, and he subsequently lost the captaincy he had held since 2021. He has spent his whole NHL career with the Red Wings, who drafted him 15th overall in 2014. Recent reports indicate the Boston Bruins made an offer for him, but the proposal was rejected; it remains unclear whether Detroit or Larkin turned it down.[S1]
Larkin appears willing to leave Detroit but not to join Boston. He provided the club with a list of three teams he would accept, naming the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman later reported that Larkin had widened his preferred destinations to roughly eight teams, though the Bruins are not among them. Any trade would also be complicated by Larkin's full no-trade clause, which gives him considerable say over his future, and by the five seasons remaining on his contract at an average annual value of $8.7 million.[S1]
Production and Contract Leverage
On the ice, Larkin has remained Detroit's most important forward. Last season he recorded 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games. Through 2025-26, his career totals stand at 276 goals and 643 points in 808 games. Those numbers, combined with his no-trade protection and long-term deal, mean the Red Wings cannot simply move him without his cooperation, and any team hoping to acquire him must fit his $8.7 million cap hit into its plans.[S1]
