An NHL journalist has raised concerns about star Dylan Larkin remaining with the Detroit Red Wings in the future amid growing tensions between the team and the player.

Amid the news that started surfacing on June 4, with Larkin looking out from the Red Wings, listing the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, and the Vegas Golden Knights as the teams he would like to be traded to.

Detroit Free Press Red Wings writer Helene St. James appeared on OverDrive, discussing the situation.

"That would be a lot to walk back,” St. James said according to a post on X. “It’s been going on now for two months; the organization is upset with him…asking for a trade after they’ve paid down the chunk of the actual salary, 31m over three years."

St. James mentioned how the team is upset with him. The Red Wings signed as the No. 15 overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, with a cap hit of $1,425,000 and total value being $4.28 million.

He then signed another contract renewal from 2019 to 2023 with $6.1 million cap hit and total value being $30.5 million. His current contract sees him with a cap hit of $8.7 million, from 2023 to 2031, with the total value being $69.6 million if he stays till 2031.

Several reports claimed that Captain Larkin's request to be traded stemmed from broken relations with the executive vice president and general manager, Steve Yzerman, which prompted Larkin to make this request. There could be another reason for the ask though.

Dylan Larkin And The Red Wings' Relation Amid Steve Yzerman Stepping Down As GM

Recently, after Larkin requested a trade from the Red Wings, Yzerman reflected on the request, saying that he could not guarantee whether the request would be fulfilled.

"My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that,” Yzerman said according to NHL.com. “I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met."

Yzerman has now stepped down from the position of general manager to now being a senior advisor, as announced by the Red Wings on July 14. CEO Chris Ilitch also gave his thoughts about the decision.

"Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization," Ilitch said. "I'm looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves."

But even after Yzerman stepped down, it looks like Larkin is still adamant about leaving the Red Wings, and one of the biggest reasons could be that the franchise has gone 10 consecutive years without qualifying for the playoffs.

Larkin just won a gold medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, after beating Canada 2-1. Playing with a team that included stars like Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, and Jack Hughes, Larkin now wants to join a team that could fight for the title.

Whether or not the request for a trade by Larkin will be completed remains unanswered, but with Yzerman stepping down, things will change for the Red Wings.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi