"As Long As Is Necessary": Shawn Horcoff Not Rushing To Trade Suspended Dylan Larkin

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The Detroit Red Wings have taken another step toward moving on from former captain Dylan Larkin, who was officially suspended without pay Thursday afternoon.

Larkin, who requested a trade during the offseason, is now no longer listed on the club's official roster, and he will forfeit more than $41,000 per day during his suspension.

Not long after the club announced Larkin's suspension, interim GM Shawn Horcoff held a press conference and explained that Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, had informed him that Larkin no longer wanted to come to the rink or be part of the team.

"To put it simply, we received a call from Dylan's agent today saying that he wasn't going to be coming to the rink, and no longer wanted to be part of the Red Wings," Horcoff said. 

After Larkin played his first game of the season on Oct. 6, he said afterward that he felt it was up to him to earn back his teammates' trust following his trade request.

Now, it appears that trust may have been broken, particularly after Horcoff said Larkin's agent informed him that the former captain no longer wanted to play for the club or report to the rink.

As far as a potential timeline for when a trade could take place, Horcoff made it clear that he's in no hurry, and is going to wait for the right circumstance for the overall health of the club.

“I can't put a timeline on it," Horcoff said. "One thing I will say is that, with the teams that Dylan has on his list, it's difficult to get something done in a trade like this. There are significant challenges when you're trying to put a salary like Dylan's into a team trying to find the right pieces to get in return, so it's difficult.

How long it takes, I'm not sure. But I'm prepared to wait as long as is necessary to make sure the return we get is something good for the Red Wings overall."

Rather than reveal what the players who remain in the dressing room are thinking about the situation, Horcoff praised their professionalism amid what has been a distracting situation, while acknowledging that everything is still raw.

“I'm not going to comment on what other guys are thinking or feeling about this, plus it's pretty raw," Horcoff said. "I think everyone needs some time to digest it. I will say, I've been very impressed - Dylan requested to be traded this summer, and those players welcomed him with open arms, as did the coaching staff and management, as did the fans, to a large extent."

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Horcoff praised the professionalism of Detroit's players and staff for looking past the uncomfortable circumstances surrounding their former captain and leader requesting a trade from the club, where he remains under contract for five more years.

He also gave Larkin credit for initially reporting to play despite the difficult situation.

“I was very impressed with how the players were able to kind of see past that and welcome him, and try and support him," he said. "It was not an easy situation. I have to give Dylan a lot of credit in this as well. He came back and showed up to Camp. Unfortunately, he got injured, but he faced you guys in tough circumstances.

He went out there for Opening Night, faced the fans, and still went out and played hard for us. But in regard to the players, I'm very impressed, and it goes to show the type of people we have in that locker room that were able to support him."

But ultimately, Larkin has decided that he's had his fill of the situation, and that speaks volumes in the club's eyes. 

"I'll say at this point is Dylan no longer wants to be Red Wing, and he's not with us," Horcoff said. "I mean, that pretty much you know is a strong statement.

It's pretty cut and dry."

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