- Dylan Larkin made the call to sit out until the Red Wings trade him
- His agent, Pat Brisson, says “Dylan’s had enough of the situation”
- Read below for what Detroit could do next, including a suspension
Dylan Larkin has had enough. The Red Wings center is sitting out until Detroit trades him, and the decision came from his side, not the team’s. We told you earlier Thursday that Larkin was out of the lineup against the Blackhawks. Now we know why.
His agent, Pat Brisson, put out a statement through The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun explaining the decision:
Brisson said Larkin “had enough of the situation” and called him “very professional and cooperative through this process.”
LeBrun also reported that Larkin’s camp spoke with the Red Wings Wednesday night and again Thursday morning. The message from his agents was that Larkin feels he has given the team ample time since his May trade request to get a deal done.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Red Wings were told Wednesday night that Larkin decided to sit out. Friedman said Larkin felt he had done right by Detroit by playing through the request, but “had enough” and wants the move to happen.
Friedman also described where the talks stand. “The Red Wings have made it very clear they have a certain bar that must be leaped for anyone to acquire Larkin, but it’s clear he wants to give this a tush-push over the goal line,” he wrote.
Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, flew to Detroit this week to meet with him in person after the team’s road trip. That meeting is where the decision was made, per Friedman.
TSN’s Darren Dreger raised another possibility. Detroit could suspend Larkin, which is what Winnipeg did with Connor Hellebuyck before he was traded to New Jersey:
A suspension would cost Larkin $41,237.11 for every day it lasts, so a trade that drags on gets expensive for him fast. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff is expected to address the situation, and the team is expected to put out a statement.
The Red Wings are 5-4-3 and have the longest playoff drought in the league. Larkin has six points in 10 games, and his list of approved teams has grown well past his original four teams, with Minnesota reportedly making the most offers.
