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Dylan Larkin is seeing $41,237 of his $8 million base salary this season slip away each day—and there’s no concrete end to his losses yet.
The Red Wings center, who was stripped of the captaincy this season, was suspended without pay by Detroit on Thursday after he declared he would sit out until he was traded. Addressing the media, Detroit interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, told the team Larkin would no longer show up to the rink or play for the Red Wings at all.
The conflict is a culmination of a drawn-out battle that’s been escalating since the summer.
In June, the 30-year-old requested to be moved from the Red Wings, providing a narrow three-team trade list: Florida, Minnesota, and Vegas, all of which are top contenders in the NHL. The Red Wings did not execute a trade, and Larkin showed up to preseason camp—without addressing questions on his situation—finally deciding to play. (The home crowd booed him upon return to Little Caesars Arena.)
But even as Larkin took the ice for several games, in the background, the trade push has still been in full force; Larkin eventually said he would waive his full no-trade clause for an expanded list of 10 teams (many of which are also among the league’s strongest).
Larkin’s camp and the Red Wings have hit a stalemate, prompting the unpaid leave. Now, Larkin—a Michigan native—is hemorrhaging cash every minute.
Larkin’s situation echoes another NHL drama this season, which just found its resolution last week.
Olympic Team USA teammate Connor Hellebuyck also publicly requested a trade from the Jets in late summer to try to force the hand of the team to move him. Hellebuyck dug in his heels, not showing up to training camp, and eventually was suspended without pay by Winnipeg. Hellebuyck forfeited more than $925,000 in salary as he sat out 24 days and waited for a trade, which finally got done with the Devils on Oct. 23.
These moves are part of a recent pattern of the NHL’s top players (mostly) successfully pressuring their teams into trades.
Some have signed long-term deals, only to sit out to force a trade to a more competitive team: Larkin has five seasons remaining on an eight-year deal; Hellebuyck had five years remaining on a seven-year deal before landing with the Devils. And two other high-caliber players—Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk, also both part of Milan’s gold-medal Team USA squad—also successfully pressured their teams to trade them when they indicated they would not sign contract extensions.
As for Larkin, both his agent and the Red Wings front office are still pushing to work out a deal and end the saga, according to Horcoff. Any potential reconciliation between the two sides seems unlikely. As Horcoff said, “He’s not with us.”
For Thursday’s game in Detroit against the Blackhawks, several fans showed up in Larkin’s jersey with the nameplate taped over, including one fan who replaced it with “Quitter.” The Red Wings took down the Blackhawks, 4–1.
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