To say the Detroit Red Wings are frustrated is an understatement.
Patrick Kane hasn't committed to a team. The offseason acquisitions, while solid, aren't enough to majorly change the fate of the team. Worst of all, soon-to-be-former captain Dylan Larkin refuses to budge on his trade list, effectively deadlocking negotiations between the disgruntled center and general manager Steve Yzerman.
This, in turn, has created a sort of purgatory between finding the right deal and wrapping up the offseason. Without a clear understanding of who will man the top line, the Red Wings are forced to reckon with a reality where Larkin still suits up on opening night.
Not only would this be extremely awkward for everyone involved, it will almost certainly be negatively received by the fans.
So what's the team to do while they wait?
Ruminate, mostly.
Roster direction unclear until Larkin trade is finalized
Multiple reports appear to indicate that Yzerman isn't looking for futures in this Larkin deal. Had he been searching for things like draft picks, the deal would've already been done. That said, until the Larkin return is done, there's no telling what direction the team will take.
Should they receive younger, yet-unproven talent, the Wings might need to pump the brakes and take a step back this next season. If they get NHL-level talent, they'll likely push for the playoffs in a stacked Atlantic division.
Until something happens, though, they're stuck in the waiting process. That's why this offseason has felt so particularly frustrating. It's not every day your franchise captain requests a trade. It's even rarer to have them do so the moment the regular season ends. Worst of all, if some reports are to be believed, Larkin has either expanded his trade list by one team or refuses to budge on his three team list at all.
Larkin has three options with Red Wings
As it stands right now, Larkin has three choices he can make moving forward.
1. Expand his trade list, offering Yzerman more candidates.
2. Wait until the right deal manifests itself.
3. Start the season with the Red Wings* and play until a trade happens.
*He could also refuse to play, but, by doing so, he would forfeit his salary. This seems extremely unlikely.
If he's desperate to get out of Detroit, his best bet is to expand his trade list. If he's refusing to budge for some bizarrely stubborn reason, he can wait until Yzerman finds a deal he's happy to make. But if he doesn't want to do either of those things, it's safe to say that he'll start the season wearing the Winged Wheel.
As of right now, it looks like he's going to wait until the right deal appears. That said, the offseason is long; even with an advanced schedule starting in September, Yzerman has multiple months to concoct a satisfying trade for the Red Wings.
Based on Yzerman's recent press conference, it's clear Larkin doesn't really have a lot of leeway from a negotiating standpoint. He can dictate teams, sure, but that doesn't mean Yzerman has to make a trade -- especially because Larkin has five years left on his deal.
Add us as a preferred source on Google