Dylan Larkin’s Ugly Red Wings Exit Will Define His Detroit Legacy

Dylan Larkin spent years wearing the captain's C for one of hockey's most storied franchises. Now, instead of leading the Detroit Red Wings through another difficult chapter, he's decided he won't play for them at all.

It's a disappointing way for someone who was supposed to represent the organization to end his time in Detroit.

On Thursday, the Red Wings announced that Larkin had informed the team he would no longer play until he was traded. The Red Wings responded by suspending the 30-year-old center without pay.

It's an embarrassing developing for a franchise already dealing with the consequences of a decade-long playoff drought. But the most troubling part isn't that Larkin wants to leave. It's how he's choosing to go about it.

Larkin signed an eight-year, $69.6 million contract extension in March 2023. That agreement came with an $8.7 million annual salary and the security of a long-term commitment from the team.

No one forced him to sign it.

Yet with five seasons remaining on the deal, Larkin has taken his puck and gone home until the Red Wings acquiesce to his trade demand.

That's not leadership, that's an ultimatum.

Larkin has every right to be disappointed with the Red Wings' inability to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Red Wings haven't seen the postseason since 2016, his rookie season. But disappointment doesn't excuse abandoning your team and your fans.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Consider what this means for the players still wearing the Winged Wheel. Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and the rest of the Red Wings' roster must continue preparing for games while their former captain refuses to participate.

They don't get to walk away from their responsibilities just because the standings aren't where they want them to be. And neither should Larkin.

What makes the situation even more frustrating is that Larkin possesses a full no-trade clause, giving him significant control over where the Red Wings can send him. He wants out, but he also wants to dictate the destinations.

Meanwhile, interim general manager Shawn Horcoff must attempt to secure a reasonable return for a player whose refusal to play has created additional pressure on the organization. That is hardly a fair position in which to place the Red Wings.

According to Adam Martin of Yahoo Sports, Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, said his client had reached his limit with the situation and maintained that he had been professional throughout the process.

But professionalism isn't showing up only when circumstances are favorable. It's honoring your responsibilities when they become difficult.

There's another element that shouldn't be overlooked. Larkin grew up in Michigan, was drafted by the Red Wings in 2014 and became the face of the franchise during some of its most challenging seasons.

For years, Red Wings fans supported him through losing records, coaching changes and disappointing finishes. They celebrated his accomplishments and embraced him as one of their own.

Now those same fans are watching a player they once considered the heart of the Red Wings refuse to wear their uniform. They have every right to be angry.

The Red Wings were right to suspend Larkin without pay. Their future matters more than accommodating a player who turned his back on his team, regardless of what he did on the ice.

If finding an acceptable deal takes weeks or months, so be it. Larkin may eventually get the fresh start he wants, but the way he has chosen to pursue it will be forever etched into his legacy in Detroit.

A captain is supposed to set an example when adversity shows its ugly face. Instead, Larkin has chosen to skate away from adversity.

For a player who once represented everything the Red Wings hoped to build around, that's a sad and bitter ending.

Add us as a preferred source on Google