Dylan Larkin will reportedly block trade to Red Wings conference rival

That is the problem.

Larkin reportedly requested a trade after another failed Red Wings season, and while that already puts Yzerman in a brutal spot, the bigger issue is Larkin's contract. He carries an $8.7 million cap hit through 2030-31 and still has a full no-trade clause, meaning Detroit cannot just auction him to the highest bidder.

Now, Kevin Kurz reports that the Philadelphia Flyers do not believe they are on Larkin's short list at the moment. That matters because Philadelphia is exactly the kind of team that should be aggressive here: young, center-needy, impatient, and looking for a legitimate top-line veteran.

If Larkin is blocking teams like Philadelphia, a young team with a relatively bright future, and one with a desperate need at center, Yzerman's leverage shrinks fast. The possibility of having wingers like Matvei Michkov or Porter Martone should be very desirable.

There is nothing wrong with Larkin using the protection he negotiated. He earned it. He has spent his entire career in Detroit, carried bad teams, wore the «C,» and watched the rebuild drag on far longer than promised.

But if he truly wants out, he cannot treat this like picking a vacation destination.

The fewer teams on his list, the worse the return gets. That is bad for Detroit, but it is also bad for Larkin. Yzerman is not going to give away his captain just to make him happy. If the market is too small, the Red Wings can wait.

That is where this gets ugly.

Larkin may want a fresh start, but unless he chills out with the limited preferred teams, he could end up stuck in the exact place he is trying to escape. Yzerman isn't afraid to go hardball; which side will crack first?