Rumor: Larkin requests trade

[JoesuffP]

It would be cool if you get a blue chip future center in a Larkin deal and swing a separate EP40/Thomas then that’s a hell of an offseason

 

[sepster]

If these rumors of Larkin and Yzerman not getting along are true and that is what is fueling this, that says a lot more to me about Yzerman's management style, than Larkin's character.

All the Team USA coaches/players/staff etc seem to love Larkin and what he brings to the table in the locker room.

And yet he is an issue in Detroit?!?! This could be leak smear campaigning nonsense that tends to come out.

But it feels like Yzerman has a very strong "kiss the ring and always do as I say" style and the second he becomes irritated with you, you are gone. That can't continue, the Wings don't have the winning rep they use to to get away with that crap.

Being a competent teammate for a 3-week tournament is a very different thing than being the captain of a team, and carrying expectations to help foster the desired culture, over the course of multiple years. The expectations should be significantly different.

Yzerman doesn't have a "kiss the ring" complex. He wants a certain culture in the organization. He wants specific qualities from the players and the leaders on the team. When those don't align, changes are made.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Being a competent teammate for a 3-week tournament is a very different thing than being the captain of a team, and carrying expectations to help foster the desired culture, over the course of multiple years. The expectations should be significantly different.

Yzerman doesn't have a "kiss the ring" complex. He wants a certain culture in the organization. He wants specific qualities from the players and the leaders on the team. When those don't align, changes are made.

It's clear Yzerman and McLellan are fully aligned, which suggests they have the blessing of the Ilitch family. I have no problem accepting Larkin's decision, but this sense that he's some sort of martyr is a bit much. He's proven he can play a depth role on a very good hockey team and that's the role he prefers.

There's nothing wrong with that, get the best return you can and move on.

 

[sepster]

He probably wasn’t. But I don’t see any single scenario where we are even remotely close to the playoffs now next season

We already had a terrible 2C, now we also don’t even have an average 1C

This sets us back a good 3 years.

This scenario has the potential to speed up the process.

The Red Wings were not ever going to get to contention with Larkin being the 1C. Not next year. Not two years from now. Never ever. They would remain a bubble team hoping to end the playoff drought. Stuck in the dreaded mushy middle of mediocrity.

If trading Larkin right now, when there is a stunning lack of talent in UFA and on the market, creates a bidding war for one of the few desirable assets to become available, then that could potentially net the Wings the high-end young assets that better fit in with the Seider/Raymond/Ed window of contention.

I've said for years that Larkin's window for contention doesn't exist. It closed once Bertuzzi/Mantha/AA/Svech/Zadina/Ras all turned out to be garbage. That was Larkin's core. It flamed out.

The most glaring need for this team moving forward is a top-end 1C (not the only need, but the most glaring big piece). The clock is ticking to find one that fits with the Seider core. If trading Larkin (and I'd add Debrincat and Cossa to the mix) this summer gets the team closer to finding one, that only moves the team closer to actually competing in a meaningful way.

 

[Run the Jewels]

This scenario has the potential to speed up the process.

The Red Wings were not ever going to get to contention with Larkin being the 1C. Not next year. Not two years from now. Never ever. They would remain a bubble team hoping to end the playoff drought. Stuck in the dreaded mushy middle of mediocrity.

If trading Larkin right now, when there is a stunning lack of talent in UFA and on the market, creates a bidding war for one of the few desirable assets to become available, then that could potentially net the Wings the high-end young assets that better fit in with the Seider/Raymond/Ed window of contention.

I've said for years that Larkin's window for contention doesn't exist. It closed once Bertuzzi/Mantha/AA/Svech/Zadina/Ras all turned out to be garbage. That was Larkin's core. It flamed out.

The most glaring need for this team moving forward is a top-end 1C (not the only need, but the most glaring big piece). The clock is ticking to find one that fits with the Seider core. If trading Larkin (and I'd add Debrincat and Cossa to the mix) this summer gets the team closer to finding one, that only moves the team closer to actually competing in a meaningful way.

Yeah, my hope is they can get someone like Caleb Desnoyers or Roger McQueen. They need a legit 1C playmaking center. They haven't had one since Pavel retired.

 

[JoesuffP]

I’ve chosen to get excited about the idea we lose Larkin but gain two centers this offseason

Or if I’m Yzerman I go out and get EP40/Thomas and make Larkin wait it out

 

[DangerMouse]

1. As many have said, at least something is happening
2. Even if we'd been able to overpay and sign someone like McCann this summer the ceiling for this team with Larkin was a 7/8 seed and getting killed in the first round
3. Wings won't get as much as the optimists are estimating or as little as the doomers are suggesting - the truth is somewhere in the middle
4. Steve has good trades and bad trades on his resume...if he doesn't make one of the former here we're doing this all over again in three years with Seider/Raymond

 

[SirloinUB]

On 32 Thoughts, Friedman talks Larkin. The video should start where the topic of Larkin begins. If not, the topic begins at 23:15 and ends at roughly 37:00.

Interesting Friedge says that Yzerman, Larkin and his agent haven’t spoken on this. I wonder where this leaked from?

 

[Run the Jewels]

Interesting Friedge says that Yzerman, Larkin and his agent haven’t spoken on this. I wonder where this leaked from?

Total speculation on my part, but with all the Minnesota smoke, my guess is someone from Minnesota put it out there.

I envision a scenario where Guerin reaches out to Yzerman, perhaps Yzerman doesn't like what Guerin has to offer and Billy G goes YOLO and lets it be known that Larkin wants out.

Yzerman doesn't strike me as the type to put this out there and Dreger said Larkin's representation was not happy about it getting out. To me, that suggests a third party. With that being said, I do think it getting out there can benefit Detroit. Yzerman should hear from a couple dozen teams who are inquiring about what it would take to get him.

 

[RedHawkDown]

To be fair to Dylan, when he is playing hurt or out, the team plays much much worse, and no one really steps up and takes charge. I think people are being way too hard on Dylan and had way too high of expectations from his level of player. He has been on a crappy team every year but his first year, and the last 3 seasons, the teams were nothing special at all. I mean this year alone, his LW for over half the season was a 7th round pick who played well but should be not be a first line player. Other linemates were Mantha, AA, Bertuzzi, none of which are anything special. Lucas Raymond also nosedived at seasons end as well.

A much better player than Dylan it might be fair to expect him to lead us to the playoffs with the players he has had in his career, but Dylan is Top 20-30 Center, not an elite player.

This isn’t even true. Their record with and without him in the latter half of the season this year was almost identical.

 

[SirloinUB]

Total speculation on my part, but with all the Minnesota smoke, my guess is someone from Minnesota put it out there.

I envision a scenario where Guerin reaches out to Yzerman, perhaps Yzerman doesn't like what Guerin has to offer and Billy G goes YOLO and lets it be known that Larkin wants out.

Yzerman doesn't strike me as the type to put this out there and Dreger said Larkin's representation was not happy about it getting out. To me, that suggests a third party. With that being said, I do think it getting out there can benefit Detroit. Yzerman should hear from a couple dozen teams who are inquiring about what it would take to get him.

This makes sense. If I’m Yzerman I’m not dealing with the Wild after a stunt like that

 

[stillwater]

It's just as likely that the room disrespects Larkin, as it is that the room despises Yzerman.

Getting praise from coaches and teammates over a 2-week Olympic tournament, that results in a Gold Medal isn't the same as being expected to lead a franchise over an 82-game schedule. His role on the Olympic team was very different from his role with the Red Wings.

He may be Captain America, but he's too soft to be Captain Red Wing.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

The Red Wings, as currently constructed, were not ever going to get to contention with Larkin being the 1C.

Fixed that for you.

 

[sepster]

Interesting Friedge says that Yzerman, Larkin and his agent haven’t spoken on this. I wonder where this leaked from?

He's saying that none of Yzerman, Larkin, and his agent have spoken PUBLICLY about this. Not that they haven't spoken to each other.

 

[Run the Jewels]

This makes sense. If I’m Yzerman I’m not dealing with the Wild after a stunt like that

Again, total speculation on my part, but Guerin seems like a reasonable guess as a source. He was talking up Larkin recently which led to the trade rumors. In the latest WWP one of the guys was talking about how in retrospect he didn't put 2+2 together regarding the Wild rumors that involved Larkin.

 

[jkutswings]

This makes sense. If I’m Yzerman I’m not dealing with the Wild after a stunt like that

I think it's a moot point considering that Minnesota has nothing to offer Detroit. But if Yzerman is letting his pride limit the trade return for Larkin in any way, he's not doing his job. The GM can suck it up and do what's best for the franchise, even if that means dealing with a trade partner that may have acted like an asshat.

 

[sepster]

Fixed that for you.

If you mean, "The Red Wings, as currently constructed with Dylan Larkin as their 1C" then, yes.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

It's just as likely that the room disrespects Larkin, as it is that the room despises Yzerman.

Getting praise from coaches and teammates over a 2-week Olympic tournament, that results in a Gold Medal isn't the same as being expected to lead a franchise over an 82-game schedule. His role on the Olympic team was very different from his role with the Red Wings.

He may be Captain America, but he's too soft to be Captain Red Wing.

Not very likely, pretty beloved on every team he has been on. Very worried how Mo and Lucas take this news.

 

[stillwater]

Wh

Not very likely, pretty beloved on every team he has been on. Very worried how Mo and Lucas take this news.

When was the last time you heard an interview where an NHL player shit on one of his teammates?

You have absolutely no idea what these guys are really thinking.

The USA entourage went completely out of their way to pump up Matthews and Larkin, to attempt to take off some of the stink both guys have on them because of their team's failures, and the bad press they continually get (Matthews).

Canada, the losers of the Gold Medal game didn't go out of their way to praise Mitch Marner, another guy who's been constantly under attack and is now on the precipice of perhaps winning a Cup, and a Conn Smythe.

History, as they say, is written by the winners, not the losers.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

He's saying that none of Yzerman, Larkin, and his agent have spoken PUBLICLY about this. Not that they haven't spoken to each other.

I wouldn't really anticipate them speaking on this. I think just confirming to the people putting out feelers is all we are going to get on this in the run up to the draft.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Not very likely, pretty beloved on every team he has been on. Very worried how Mo and Lucas take this news.

Can you provide examples of him being beloved by players on the Red Wings?

And do you think that their words are corroborated by their actions on the ice?

 

[nbwingsfan]

This scenario has the potential to speed up the process.

The Red Wings were not ever going to get to contention with Larkin being the 1C. Not next year. Not two years from now. Never ever. They would remain a bubble team hoping to end the playoff drought. Stuck in the dreaded mushy middle of mediocrity.

If trading Larkin right now, when there is a stunning lack of talent in UFA and on the market, creates a bidding war for one of the few desirable assets to become available, then that could potentially net the Wings the high-end young assets that better fit in with the Seider/Raymond/Ed window of contention.

I've said for years that Larkin's window for contention doesn't exist. It closed once Bertuzzi/Mantha/AA/Svech/Zadina/Ras all turned out to be garbage. That was Larkin's core. It flamed out.

The most glaring need for this team moving forward is a top-end 1C (not the only need, but the most glaring big piece). The clock is ticking to find one that fits with the Seider core. If trading Larkin (and I'd add Debrincat and Cossa to the mix) this summer gets the team closer to finding one, that only moves the team closer to actually competing in a meaningful way.

You’re going to have explain how trading away our only top 6C puts us closer to getting a #1C

A team with Raymond Seider and Ed should be too good to be in the bottom, especially if the kids are as good as many of you say they are/will be

If they are bad enough for us to bottom out, then we’re in even more trouble

So it comes down to who has a young blue chip #1C prospect they would trade us? I can’t think of any

 

[sepster]

You’re going to have explain how trading away our only top 6C puts us closer to getting a #1C

A team with Raymond Seider and Ed should be too good to be in the bottom, especially if the kids are as good as many of you say they are/will be

If they are bad enough for us to bottom out, then we’re in even more trouble

So it comes down to who has a young blue chip #1C prospect they would trade us? I can’t think of any

"If trading Larkin right now, when there is a stunning lack of talent in UFA and on the market, creates a bidding war for one of the few desirable assets to become available, then that could potentially net the Wings the high-end young assets that better fit in with the Seider/Raymond/Ed window of contention."

 

[Bench]

Can you provide examples of him being beloved by players on the Red Wings?

Anyone who grew up in sports locker rooms knows how cliquey they can get. Getting 20 dude bros together, they are naturally going to form little groups.

Larkin had his DrBrincat, Kane group so I'd imagine they are very complimentary.

 

[nbwingsfan]

"If trading Larkin right now, when there is a stunning lack of talent in UFA and on the market, creates a bidding war for one of the few desirable assets to become available, then that could potentially net the Wings the high-end young assets that better fit in with the Seider/Raymond/Ed window of contention."

I’ll ask again, which contending teams have a young and up and coming #1C player/prospect for him?

It’s not like he’s accepting a trade to Chicago or another bottom feeder, he has control of where he goes

Bidding wars only matter if they have the chips to trade, and outside of some shocking move like Misa for Larkin, who has that?