Story Summary
Dylan Larkin’s future with the Detroit Red Wings remains unresolved after the club suspended the centre without pay when he informed it that he would no longer play for the organisation. Detroit has confirmed it will continue to explore trade opportunities, but the reported market remains constrained by Larkin’s 10-team no-trade list.
Pierre LeBrun reported that Larkin has not expanded that list, despite Detroit returning to clubs already approved by the player and some discussions reportedly advancing. Chris Johnston said the Minnesota Wild have made the strongest offer so far and that Larkin would like to join them, though there is no confirmation that a trade is close or that Minnesota’s reported proposal has been accepted.
The same Detroit off-season pressure is hanging over Simon Edvinsson. The 23-year-old defenceman remains without a contract, with Darren Dreger reporting that the Red Wings have offered deals across one-, two-, five- and seven-year terms but have not reached Edvinsson’s desired financial level. Detroit has publicly maintained that it wants to keep Edvinsson, making this a negotiation rather than an indication of a planned trade.
Key Facts
- The Detroit Red Wings suspended Dylan Larkin without pay after he informed the club that he would no longer play for the organisation while awaiting a trade.
- Dylan Larkin requested a trade during the off-season and remains under contract with Detroit for five further seasons at an $8.7 million average annual value.
- Pierre LeBrun reported that Larkin’s 10-team no-trade list has not expanded and that Detroit has revisited talks with teams on that list.
- Chris Johnston reported that Minnesota has made the best offer for Larkin so far, but no completed trade has been confirmed.
- Simon Edvinsson is a 23-year-old restricted free agent whose contract situation remains unresolved with Detroit.
- Darren Dreger reported that Detroit has offered Edvinsson one-, two-, five- and seven-year contract structures, with the sides still apart on money.
- Detroit interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said he has zero interest in trading Edvinsson and wants to retain the defenceman.
IHM Discussion
Larkin and Edvinsson are separate files, but they place Detroit under a similar strain: the club is trying to protect the value of major players while operating with uncertainty around them. Larkin’s situation has moved beyond ordinary trade speculation because he is no longer available to the coaches. That is a confirmed reality, even if the details of potential destinations and offers remain reported rather than completed.
The unchanged 10-team list matters because it defines the negotiating field. Detroit can speak to other clubs, but any deal involving Larkin still requires his approval. A reported preference for Minnesota may be relevant to the market, yet it does not make Minnesota the destination or establish the contents of a final return. The key confirmed point is simpler: Detroit is seeking a trade that it believes serves its long-term interests.
Edvinsson’s case should not be folded into that same urgency. Detroit has been explicit that it wants to sign him, while the reported range of term offers suggests the disagreement is not over whether he belongs with the Red Wings but over how the contract should balance security and value. The reported outside interest from San Jose and other clubs is a reminder of Edvinsson’s standing, not proof that Detroit is prepared to move him.
Why It Matters
For Detroit, Larkin’s absence creates an immediate hockey problem as well as a trade question. He has been a central forward for the franchise, and his departure from the line-up cannot be solved by the possibility of a future return. The Red Wings must keep playing and organising their forward group while management assesses offers within the player’s approved market.
Edvinsson represents a different sort of risk. A young defenceman of his profile is difficult to replace, which explains Detroit’s stated desire to keep him. If the sides remain apart, the contract question will continue to overshadow a player the Red Wings regard as a priority. The club’s ability to separate those two negotiations will be important: Larkin’s trade process concerns an exit, while Edvinsson’s talks concern retaining a core piece.
IHM Market Outlook
The Larkin market is active but restricted. Reports that Detroit has returned to teams on the approved list indicate that the Red Wings are working within the options available to them, while the reported Minnesota interest provides one possible benchmark rather than a finished deal. Carolina, Tampa Bay and New Jersey were also mentioned as clubs on Larkin’s approved list that could improve their position, but none has been confirmed as the leading destination.
Edvinsson’s market is more theoretical at this stage. Detroit’s public stance is that it does not want to trade him, so reported interest from San Jose and elsewhere chiefly strengthens the sense that the defenceman has leverage in negotiations. Interest is not a transaction, and there is no confirmed indication that Detroit has opened formal trade talks on Edvinsson.
Mini Q&A
Has Dylan Larkin been traded by the Detroit Red Wings?
No. Detroit has confirmed that it is exploring trade opportunities after suspending Larkin, but no completed trade has been announced.
Can Dylan Larkin choose where he is traded?
Larkin has a 10-team no-trade list, so any move requires his approval, and Pierre LeBrun reported that the list has not expanded.
Is Minnesota set to acquire Dylan Larkin?
No. Chris Johnston reported that Minnesota has made the best offer so far and that Larkin would like to go there, but no agreement has been confirmed.
Are the Red Wings trying to trade Simon Edvinsson?
Detroit has publicly said it has zero interest in trading Edvinsson and wants to sign the restricted free-agent defenceman.
What is holding up Simon Edvinsson’s deal?
Darren Dreger reported that Detroit has presented several term options, but the sides have not agreed on the financial terms.
Coach Mark Comment
The two situations ask very different things of Detroit’s staff. Larkin is unavailable, so the players taking his shifts need defined work now rather than a daily wait for trade news. Edvinsson, by contrast, is a player the organisation says it wants to keep, and that makes the money gap the central issue.
There is no advantage in allowing one unresolved file to colour the other. One is about finding a return for a player who has stepped away; the other is about reaching terms with a defenceman Detroit still sees in its plans.
What Comes Next
Edvinsson reportedly needs a contract by December 1 to play this season, giving the negotiation a clear upcoming checkpoint. Before then, attention will remain on whether Detroit and Edvinsson can close the financial gap, and whether any club on Larkin’s approved list produces a trade proposal Detroit is willing to accept.
IHM Final View
Detroit’s two major personnel questions require different levels of patience. Larkin’s suspension has made the trade process immediate, but a reported offer or preferred destination is not the same as an agreement. Edvinsson’s talks remain unsettled as well, though Detroit’s stated intent to retain him makes this a contract-value dispute rather than a confirmed trade path. Until either matter reaches a formal conclusion, the Red Wings are managing uncertainty rather than announcing solutions.