Opinion: Dylan Larkin Trade Request Sets A Nasty Precedent For Brady Tkachuk And Zach Werenski

This is all kind of Mitch Marner's fault.

After stubbing his toe in the playoffs for nine straight years, the former Toronto Maple Leafs right winger is finally enjoying the kind of success that eluded him for nearly a decade in his hometown.

In the process, the leading scorer in the Stanley Cup final is now showing the rest of the hockey world what a change of scenery can do for a player — and a player's image.

Maybe that's why Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who has missed the post-season in the past 10 years, has reportedly requested a trade. Maybe that's also why the Vegas Golden Knights, along with the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild, are reportedly on his short list of teams he wants to be traded to.

Now, the hockey world waits to see what Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman will do.

While we wait, don't be surprised if another player in Larkin's position comes out with a similar trade request.

Say what you want about a star player's right to call the shots and use whatever leverage he has against a team, as The Hockey News Big Show analyst Drew Shore recently tweeted.

But what the Red Wings do with Larkin, who is under contract for another five seasons, could set a precedent that goes beyond the city of Detroit. In some ways, Larkin's trade request could set off a chain of events that just might alter the entire landscape of the NHL.

If the Red Wings play hardball and refuse to trade Larkin, then they've got a disgruntled captain. However, if they give in and trade him, then they invite copycat scenarios around the league.

What happens if Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who has won two playoff games in eight years, also gets fed up with losing and decides to force his way to Florida to play with his brother?

What if Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski, who hasn't made the playoffs since the bubble in 2020, wants out of Columbus and takes a shortcut to Colorado?

How about Auston Matthews? Or Jack Hughes? Or Leon Draisaitl?

All of them have contracts. All of them have no-trade clauses. All of them made commitments to their teams.

But does that even matter anymore?

We've already seen Matthew Tkachuk force his way out of Calgary and Quinn Hughes essentially will his way out of Vancouver.

Now, Larkin is testing the waters. If he ends up on a contender, you better believe that he won't be the last player to pull this tactic.

After all, it's not just that Larkin requested a trade. It's he reportedly limited his request to three teams. One of those teams is two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup final. Another is a two-time defending champion. And the third is the Wild, where Kirill Kaprizov was made the highest-paid player and where Quinn Hughes was recently traded.

In other words, Larkin isn't looking for a way out — he's looking to buy his way into a championship.

Again, you can blame Marner for that. But at least he waited until he was a UFA before leaving Toronto for Vegas.

As some have said, the NHL better be careful because one of Gary Bettman's crowning achievements is the idea of parity and a competitive NHL.

But if contracts no longer matter and players are calling the shots and picking their destinations, then you don't have balanced competition.

Instead, you get something that starts to look a lot like the NBA, where players collude to form super teams.

It's not a good look for the NHL. Nor is it a good look for Larkin.

Don't like losing in Detroit? Well, do something about it.

The Buffalo Sabres had a losing streak that stretched on for 14 long and miserable years, but we never heard Rasmus Dahlin request a trade. Instead, we heard about how all the dark days were supposedly worth it this year when Buffalo finally took a step and not only made the playoffs but reached Game 7 of the second round.

Maybe Dahlin — and not Marner or Quinn Hughes or Matthew Tkachuk — is the example that Larkin should be following.

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