At first, the majority of Detroit Red Wings fans stood by Dylan Larkin's decision to request a trade. After all, it's hard to blame the guy. After a decade without the playoffs watching his friends like the Tkachuk Brothers and Hughes brothers succeed, it's only fair to expect change.
But the manner in which Larkin has proceeded is quickly alienating him among the fanbase.
Recently, Larkin revealed a list of three teams he'd like the Red Wings to consider: the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild. Unsurprisingly, all three teams play host to his Team USA teammates.
But it's entirely fair to say that this move feels like a stab in the back.
Larkin's list includes two Stanley Cup champion teams - one of whom is in the finals - and a team missing just a center on their path to contention. It's entirely fair for Larkin to want a fresh start, but it's even fairer for Red Wings fans to feel betrayed by this move.
Larkin's list not the end all, be all
That said, Larkin's three team list isn't the final offer on the table. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, if the Red Wings can't find a suitable offer with the aforementioned three teams, they'll look to the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning or New York Islanders as potential suitors.
General manager Steve Yzerman is not the type of guy to fold at the first offer. Many things can be said about him, but no one can call him impulsive. In the entirely unlikely scenario that this feud gets ugly, Yzerman will elect one of two routes. He'll either tell Larkin he has to play well enough until he can find the right offer, or he'll sit him until an offer can be made.
Again, it's extremely unlikely that it leads to this scenario, but there's no doubt that Yzerman won't play hardball if a difficult decision needs to be made.
Larkin needs to compromise to reach fair trade
If Larkin still cares about his hometown team or the Red Wings fanbase, he'll come back with a more palatable list. What he's offering right now - two Stanley Cup teams and one without any suitable assets - is a slap in the face to the fans that have cheered for him for over a decade.
The worst part about all this is the deafening silence from both camps. Neither Yzerman nor Larkin have spoken to the media since the announcement, nor has Larkin's agent Pat Brisson shared any further details.
It's such a shame that a longstanding relationship like this has come to an end in such a passive aggressive way.
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