Did Dylan Larkin Botch His Trade Request from the Red Wings?

Dylan Larkin‘s trade request has generated plenty of speculation, but a closer look at the situation suggests the Detroit Red Wings captain may have boxed himself in with the terms of his own list. Larkin is still with the Red Wings, despite asking out months ago. He seems to have seriously miscalculated how easy it would be to move him, and that could force him to rethink things.

What’s gone sideways, and where did Larkin go wrong?

As several insider reports confirm, Larkin limited his approved trade destinations to just three teams: Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida. That was his first problem. That decision significantly narrows Detroit’s options, as salary-cap constraints mean there’s not much they can do. All three clubs face their own cap issues: Vegas is over $8 million above the ceiling, Florida has only $34K, and Minnesota is still trying to figure out how to fit Quinn Hughes onto its books with limited space.

Two of those teams also made big moves whose fallout hurt their ability to chase another big fish. In Florida, it was Brady Tkachuk. In Minnesota, it was Quinn Hughes. That means none of these teams would trade for Larkin without sending contracts and big money back to Detroit, and the Red Wings weren’t about to take scrap pieces and another team’s problems on while moving their top scorer.

Did Larkin Miscalculate His Odds of Being Traded?

Larkin then talked himself into the idea that the Red Wings were the enemy. It’s unclear where he got that idea. Some wonder whether Larkin’s trade request stems from his time with Team USA at the Olympics, where he played alongside players from the three teams he wants to join. He could have had players tell him to request a trade to play with them, and Larkin bit, trying to get on a team with a friend.

That was another mistake, given that those players were also selfishly worried about their own futures. Larkin believes he can’t win in Detroit. He’s tired of waiting. Yet, the main reason the team has struggled is now gone. Steve Yzerman is no longer running the show.