Steve Yzerman's latest Dylan Larkin stance freezes Detroit's free agency
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 28, 2026 (9:41)
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Photo credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Steve Yzerman confirmed Dylan Larkin's trade request Saturday - and made it clear he's not rushing to meet it.
Larkin's agent called Yzerman shortly after the season ended to request a trade. A follow-up came a week later with a short list of teams Larkin would waive his no-trade clause to join, with Minnesota, Vegas, and Florida among those reported.
Yzerman made one thing plain before moving on. Larkin has five years remaining on his eight-year, $69.9 million contract at $8.7 million per season, and the GM intends to act in the best interest of the Red Wings - not on Larkin's schedule.
"Shortly after the season I received a phone call from Dylan Larkin's agent, informing me that Dylan would like to be traded. A week or so after that, Dylan's agent followed up with a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade to go to.
I cannot make any guarantees, I did not make any guarantees that the request could or would be met. I can confirm that the request was made, I will be in a position to answer more questions and be more specific in the future."
- Steve Yzerman
I cannot make any guarantees, I did not make any guarantees that the request could or would be met. I can confirm that the request was made, I will be in a position to answer more questions and be more specific in the future."
- Steve Yzerman
That framing makes sense from a leverage standpoint. But it produces a complication most coverage hasn't connected: free agency opens Wednesday.
The free agency problem nobody is talking about
Detroit heads into that market without knowing whether its captain will be on the roster next season.
Every decision Yzerman makes this week - who to sign, what to spend, what the roster looks like - exists in the shadow of this unresolved situation.
If Larkin is traded, the return package changes Detroit's cap structure and prospect depth entirely.
If he stays, the Red Wings are building around a player who publicly asked to leave.
Neither scenario is clean, and every move made before this is resolved carries that risk.
Yzerman can absolutely hold firm, but the Larkin cloud doesn't lift until there's a deal or a decision.
What Yzerman said between the lines
He kept the statement brief and took no questions specifically about Larkin. That choice is as telling as anything he said.
He confirmed the request, pointed to the contract term, and shut down the conversation.
The message wasn't that a trade won't happen - it was that it happens on Detroit's timeline, nobody else's.
With free agency days away and the roster still uncertain, that patience may cost more than he's willing to say publicly.
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