The longer the Dylan Larkin trade request takes for the Detroit Red Wings to honor, the more speculation continues. This time around, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press posits the idea that one of the ways the team can move forward is to try and reconcile with Larkin's camp.
"CEO Christoper Ilitch would be well served by reaching out to Larkin to see if he'll rethink his request," St. James began. "For Larkin, too, this is a way to not be seen as the villain of his hometown NHL team, of abandoning the team that drafted him in 2014 and named him captain in 2021."
In the eyes of most fans, however, it's too little, too late.
Why the relationship won't be fixed
It's likely that Larkin has thought this trade request through for quite some time. After all, it's not everyday the hometown kid who has lived in Michigan his entire life decides he wants out. These sorts of decisions are only made when a player (or anyone, for that matter) sees no possible path forward. Even Steve Yzerman stepping down won't be enough to suddenly change Larkin's mind overnight.
But, the thing is, even if by some miracle Larkin changes his mind, the fans have already made up theirs.
The Red Wings aren't your average hockey club. Each of Detroit's last three captains - Henrik Zetterberg, Nick Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman - played their entire career with Detroit. Each brought glory to Hockeytown. Each have shown loyalty and integrity. Larkin's trade request andcomplete lack of communication are a stark contrast to Hockeytown leaders of the past.
This, in turn, has caused a rift between Larkin's camp and the fandom.
Detroit fans deserve better than this
When a player wants out of any Detroit team, the fans are more than happy to let him go. Why would any fan root for a player that doesn't want to represent the Motor City? In the unlikely event Larkin does start the season with the Red Wings, expect a chorus of boos every time he touches the puck.
Between his trade request and his insultingly small list of candidates he'll accept, Larkin has shown Detroit fans that he's only looking out for himself.
In the Red Wings locker room, two words dominate one of the walls: earn it. The simple phrase is both a requirement and a standard players are expected to live up to when they don the Winged Wheel. To fans who have seen both tragedy and triumph, Larkin's request is the antithesis of those two words. Rather than try to earn it, he's chosen the easy route, preferring to be the subordinate on an already successful team than lead his hometown franchise to glory.
Red Wings fans deserve so much better than what they've endured this offseason.
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