Detroit’s Larkin Drama Just Got Even More Complicated

There’s a strange bit of irony in the Dylan Larkin situation. The Detroit Red Wings spent the summer dealing with the fallout from his reported trade request, the decision to strip him of the captaincy and the ongoing uncertainty about whether he would still be part of the team once training camp opened.

Larkin was expected to show up, skate with the group and, at the very least, give everyone a better idea of what came next. Instead, he won’t even be ready to take the ice.

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Larkin Suffered an Upper-Body Injury While Training

Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Larkin picked up an upper-body injury while training and won’t be ready when camp opens. The Red Wings don’t know yet when he’ll be back, adding even more uncertainty to an already messy situation. At this point, it’s hard not to think the whole thing is getting a little ridiculous.

Not funny for Larkin, obviously. Getting hurt while preparing for the season is never ideal, and the last thing he needs is more attention on his situation. But from the team’s perspective, this is almost the perfect continuation of an offseason that has refused to provide a clean answer.

Detroit still has not found a trade partner. Larkin has reportedly asked to leave. The Red Wings took away his captaincy, but still expected him to report to camp. Everyone was waiting to see whether the relationship could be repaired, whether a trade might finally happen or whether Larkin would simply return and try to play through the awkwardness. That conversation is now on hold because he cannot skate.

A Larkin Injury Makes a Trade Difficult

The injury also complicates the trade question. It would be difficult for Detroit to move Larkin while he is unavailable, and there is no clear sense of when he will be healthy. Even if teams were interested earlier, they may want more information before giving up significant assets for a player already dealing with a complicated situation.

For the Red Wings, this probably means patience. They need to avoid rushing him back just to settle the offseason drama. Larkin’s health has to come first, even if the uncertainty is frustrating.

The timing is certainly strange. After all the talk about where Larkin stands with the organization, we may now have to wait simply to find out when he can get back on the ice.

Maybe that is the real irony here. Detroit spent the summer trying to solve a relationship problem. Now the injury has created an entirely different problem before training camp even began.

Related: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Capitals & Red Wings Hire GM