Overview
- Dylan Larkin formally requested a trade in June and has not played since late October after refusing to suit up; the Red Wings suspended him without pay on Oct. 29.
- Larkin holds a full no-trade clause and provided Detroit a list of about 10 teams he would accept, which narrows suitors and complicates matching salary and term.
- Detroit interim GM Shawn Horcoff has insisted on NHL-ready forwards or young centers in return rather than mostly prospects, a demand that has slowed negotiations.
- On Thursday an ESPN analyst, Erik Johnson, publicly criticized players who seek trades mid-contract and said he spoke with Larkin’s agent, who told him 'a lot is bubbling under the surface.'
- Observers and NHL leadership say Larkin’s case is part of a wider trend of player-driven moves that is testing no-trade clauses, squeezing trade-market liquidity and altering team decision-making.