Detroit Red Wings fans may have seen Dylan Larkin play his last regular-season game wearing the winged wheel.
Despite Friday’s announcement that Larkin would be on the attention camp, sans captaincy, it doesn’t mean that the former first-round pick will actually play in a game this season.
The rationale for that assertion is simple. Teams don’t typically dress guys who are close to being traded. The risk of injury is just too high. And one devastating injury could derail an entire trade negotiation.
That’s what’s at stake with Dylan Larkin.
Even if he takes part in camp and the whole shebang, it would be foolhardy to suit him up for regular-season action. There is just so much risk involved. Suppose that the Red Wings finally get around to naming a GM. Trade talks move along with someone, anyone, and then, bang! Larkin gets hurt in a game.
What does that do to everyone’s plans?
If it’s a minor injury, well, everyone can look past it.
But what if disaster strikes like it did Aleksander Barkov last season? The Florida Panthers’ captain sustained a crushing knee injury during the first day of camp last season. He ended up missing the entire season.
So, am I saying that’s going to happen to Larkin? No, not by any means. But there is a risk that something could happen. And if the Red Wings dress Dylan Larkin, there will always be the thought of something happening every time he hits the ice.
Dylan Larkin’s commitment to the Red Wings should be questioned
All right, so, let’s say the Red Wings will deploy Dylan Larkin during the regular season, even with the evident risks at hand.
Even then, do the Red Wings have any guarantee that Larkin will be at his absolute best? Will he just try to get by until a trade is finally sorted out?
Would Todd McLellan feel comfortable deploying Larkin as a top-line center, knowing his mind is elsewhere?
That situation is like an employee who knows they’re just running out the clock. Companies don’t always make cuts official until the end of the month. So, there are times when employees know they’re on the chopping block, but it’s only a matter of time before the company announces their formal dismissal.
What good does that do to an employee? Psychologically, they may not be willing to give it their all. It’s not that they’re necessarily a poor worker. It’s just that there’s no motivation to do a good job if they know they’re going to get canned anyway.
That’s what's happening with Dylan Larkin. He’s been stripped of his captaincy. And he won’t likely play in the top six. He’ll most likely draw fourth-line minutes.
So, why even try?
The most reasonable thing to do would be for Larkin to attend camp, get in shape and stay vigilant until a trade happens.
Playing in a regular-season game at this point, unless the organization plans to use him for less than 10 minutes a night during fourth-line shifts, is meaningless.
The best thing for everyone is to just let Dylan Larkin sit and wait for the inevitable outcome.
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