- Shawn Horcoff ruled out a Red Wings rebuild in his first media session as interim GM
- Detroit has missed the playoffs 10 straight seasons, the longest active drought in the NHL
- Read below for what Horcoff said about Dylan Larkin and his authority to make trades
Shawn Horcoff is not tearing the Detroit Red Wings down to the studs.
The new interim general manager met with the media Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena for the first time since taking the job, and he got asked whether a team that has missed the playoffs 10 years running needs to start over. A rebuild, Horcoff said, is out of the question.
“A rebuild, to me, is out of the question. We have too many good players in that lineup. Listen, we’ve been close. The last three years in a row, we’ve been really close.”
Watch Horcoff draw the line:
He also said the plan is to “prove that I can do a good job and remove this interim tag.”
That drought is the longest in the franchise’s century of history and the longest active one in the league. Detroit was tied with Carolina for first in the East on Jan. 24 last season, then went 9-15-5 and got booed off its own ice in the home finale.
Dylan Larkin’s trade request came up too, and whether it turns into a distraction once camp opens.
“We’re a better team with Dylan in our lineup,” he said. On who wears the C this season: “That’ll work itself out.”
Horcoff added that he has full authority over all hockey operations decisions, a Larkin trade included. Here’s that answer:
Chris Johnston reported Tuesday that Horcoff was given the green light to negotiate contracts, which matters with Simon Edvinsson still unsigned as a restricted free agent and Alex DeBrincat a year away from unrestricted free agency. Johnston also raised the possibility that the interim tag sticks all season.
Camp opens Thursday. Larkin will not skate at the start after an upper-body injury, so Horcoff runs his first week on the job without his most talked-about player on the ice.
