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Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McClellan said he felt sympathy for Dylan Larkin after the former captain was met with vitriol from his home crowd during Friday night’s season-opening shutout loss to the New York Rangers.
Larkin, who was stripped of his captaincy after requesting a trade this offseason and placed on IR ahead of Friday’s puck drop, received a chorus of boos when introduced alongside his scratched teammates at Little Caesars Arena.
McLellan pushed back after the game against TNT studio analyst’s Paul Bissonnette concluding on the broadcast the Wings were trying to embarrass Larkin with the announcement.
“Dylan, today, being a part of the team, he wanted to be out there for the ceremony… Dylan’s explanation was, ‘I don’t want the rest of my teammates, the ones that aren’t dressed, to not be out there,'” McLellan said after the Red Wings’ 2-0 loss. “So, we went out as a team.”
McLellan continued, “Obviously, he’s got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade. It’s not comfortable for anybody. I feel bad for him, I do.”
Larkin’s trade request wasn’t the only point of contention from Red Wings fans, which were already leading chants against the team’s ownership while down by one goal early in Friday’s loss.
The Red Wings have yet to name a permanent replacement for former general manager Steve Yzerman, who was fired in the wake of Larkin’s trade request and whose departure has been followed by notable roster issues in Detroit.
These include allowing Patrick Kane to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks in free agency despite past negotiations with Yzerman, missing the deadline to extend winger Alex DeBrincat’s expiring contract for eight years and watching restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson leave for Sweden after starting the season without a contract.
“Everyone has a right to express their feelings, and we’ve just got to deal with it,” Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider said after the game (h/t WXYZ Detroit’s Alex Crescenti). “I thought we handled it pretty well.”
Larkin, who is signed through the 2030-31 season with a full no-trade clause through the 2027-28 campaign, has reportedly given the Red Wings a limited list of teams he would be willing to accept a move to.
The Detroit Free Press‘ Helene St. James initially reported that list including the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday Larkin has since expanded his list to “around eight” teams including the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Detroit fans will hope either interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, or who the team eventually tabs as a permanent replacement to Yzerman, is able to either resolve the standoff with Larkin or find a palatable deal that will allow the Red Wings to replace their top-line center despite their current lack of negotiating leverage.
