Dylan Larkin will report to Red Wings training camp in Detroit next week despite requesting a trade this offseason. The Red Wings announced they will begin the season without a captain, a role Larkin has held since 2021.
"Over the past couple of weeks, Red Wings leadership and I have had several in-depth discussions," Larkin said in a statement. "I've appreciated those candid conversations, and I will be at training camp with my teammates. When new leadership is in place, we'll talk further about the direction of the team. We will keep those conversations private, and I will keep my focus on the season ahead and on the guys in that room."
The Red Wings said in a statement that they "look forward to seeing Dylan and his teammates at Little Caesars for the start of training camp," adding that "any further discussions or decisions regarding this topic will be made once new hockey operations leadership is in place." Detroit opens training camp Sept. 17.
In July, shortly after Larkin's trade request became public, the Red Wings announced Steve Yzerman would no longer be the team's general manager. Yzerman had been GM since 2019, during which Detroit entered a rebuild but has not made the playoffs in 10 straight years. The team has hired a search firm that has been conducting interviews for a new GM but has not yet announced a hire.
Larkin, 30, grew up in nearby Waterford, Michigan, played at the University of Michigan and was selected by his hometown team in the first round of the 2014 NHL draft. He debuted for the Red Wings in the 2015-16 season, when the team made the playoffs in what was the final year of the franchise's NHL-record 25-year playoff streak. Detroit lost to Tampa Bay in five games in that first round and hasn't returned to the playoffs since.
Larkin was a key member of the 2026 U.S. men's Olympic team that won its first gold medal since 1980, playing an especially important defensive role and contributing to a penalty killing unit that went a flawless 18-for-18 in Milan. According to sources, the Minnesota Wild, led by Bill Guerin, have tried to acquire Larkin, but the sides have been at a stalemate this summer, especially with Detroit's GM seat vacant.
