Story Summary
Dylan Larkin’s future with the Detroit Red Wings remains unsettled, with Chris Johnston reporting that a trade is still the likelier eventual outcome despite the club not having closed the door on repairing its relationship with the centre.
Johnston did not support suggestions that a Larkin move was imminent or specifically set to happen this week. Instead, he described a situation in which Detroit could still attempt to mend matters with the 30-year-old, while maintaining that a trade appears more probable in the longer view.
The central complication is that Larkin is not simply an available player on an open market. He has requested a trade and supplied Detroit with a short list of destinations where he would consider waiving his no-trade clause. Johnston’s understanding is that 10 teams are acceptable to Larkin, which would narrow the number of realistic trade partners and make timing dependent on interest from those clubs as well as Detroit’s asking price.
Detroit has publicly maintained that the Larkin situation is unchanged. The Red Wings have previously indicated they will not move him without a return they consider appropriate, and Larkin remains under contract for five more seasons after this one. That combination gives the organisation latitude to wait rather than make a hurried deal.
Johnston also identified Simon Edvinsson’s unsigned status as Detroit’s more immediate piece of business. The 23-year-old restricted free-agent defenceman remains without a contract, and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said the Red Wings have no interest in trading him and are working to reach an agreement.
Key Facts
- Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings after the 2025-26 season and provided a short list of teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause.
- Chris Johnston reported that Detroit has not ruled out repairing its relationship with Larkin, although he still considers a trade the likelier outcome.
- Johnston said he had no information suggesting that a Larkin trade was imminent or specifically due to happen this week.
- Larkin has five years remaining on the eight-year, $69.9 million contract he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023.
- Simon Edvinsson is a 23-year-old restricted free-agent defenceman who remains unsigned by Detroit.
- Edvinsson recorded 25 points, including nine goals and 16 assists, in 72 games last season and averaged 22:21 of ice time.
- Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said Detroit has zero interest in trading Edvinsson and wants to sign him.
IHM Discussion
The important distinction is between a trade request and an imminent transaction. Larkin’s request created a clear route towards a possible departure, but it did not compel Detroit to take the first acceptable offer. The Red Wings hold a player under a long-term contract, while Larkin’s willingness to waive his protection is limited to a defined group of clubs. That is a negotiation structure built for patience, not necessarily speed.
Johnston’s report leaves room for two parallel realities. Detroit can continue private attempts to improve the relationship with Larkin, and it can also assess trade possibilities. Those paths are not mutually exclusive while no agreement is close.
Larkin has nevertheless continued to play for Detroit after his trade request. He returned from an upper-body injury in early October and scored a goal with an assist in his season debut. His presence on the ice does not settle the larger question, but it means the club is managing an active NHL contributor rather than a player removed from its day-to-day competitive picture.
Edvinsson’s situation adds another layer to the organisation’s workload. Detroit values the young defenceman highly and has made keeping him a stated priority. His contract resolution is a separate issue from Larkin’s future, but it is an immediate roster matter that requires attention from the same front office.
Why It Matters
Larkin is a major on-ice and organisational figure in Detroit, so any trade discussion carries consequences beyond a single lineup change. A deal would require the Red Wings to decide what sort of return best serves the club, while a reconciliation would require both sides to find a workable way forward after a public trade request.
For the rest of the league, the key point is that a potential Larkin market is restricted by his trade protection. Interested teams must be among the destinations he would accept, and they would still need to meet Detroit’s valuation. That makes a broad rush of speculative destinations less useful than watching for a substantive change in the player’s list, the club’s position or a confirmed negotiating development.
Edvinsson matters because Detroit is attempting to retain a young defenceman who logged significant minutes last season. A completed agreement would remove one prominent uncertainty from the club’s immediate agenda, even though it would not automatically resolve the separate Larkin situation.
IHM Market Outlook
The market signal is restraint. Johnston’s report suggests that teams acceptable to Larkin may be exploring whether a deal can be made, but it does not identify active negotiations, a preferred destination, a proposed package or an approaching deadline. Detroit’s contract control and Larkin’s limited destination list create conditions in which leverage, fit and patience will matter more than a rumoured short-term deadline.
A Larkin trade should therefore remain a reported possibility rather than a presumed conclusion. The current public position from Detroit is status quo, and the club has previously stressed the need for an appropriate return. Until one side confirms meaningful progress, the strongest reading is that the situation remains open rather than close to completion.
Mini Q&A
Has Dylan Larkin been traded by Detroit?
No. Larkin remains with the Red Wings, and the latest public position is that his situation is unchanged.
Is a Larkin trade imminent?
Chris Johnston said he had no information confirming that a trade was imminent or that it would happen this week.
Why is Simon Edvinsson relevant to the situation?
Edvinsson remains an unsigned restricted free agent, and Detroit has said it is working to sign the 23-year-old defenceman rather than trade him.
Coach Mark Comment
A team can handle a difficult player situation only if its day-to-day standards remain clear. Larkin’s continued participation gives Detroit an established centre to use while the wider issue remains unresolved, but the coaching group must keep the focus on preparation and accountability rather than allowing outside noise to dictate the room. Edvinsson’s absence from the signed roster is also meaningful because a young defenceman with his recent workload is difficult to replace through internal rearrangement alone.
IHM Final View
The latest report does not point to a Dylan Larkin trade being completed soon. It points to a relationship that may still be repaired, alongside a belief that a trade remains the more likely eventual destination.
Detroit’s immediate challenge is to avoid treating uncertainty as urgency. The Red Wings can continue evaluating Larkin’s market while seeking a resolution with Simon Edvinsson, whose unsigned status is a pressing roster matter. For now, the facts support a live trade file, not a finished transaction.