Steve Yzerman Confirms Dylan Larkin's Trade Request, But Says Outcome Is Far From Certain
While Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman confirmed Dylan Larkin's trade request, he made it clear that there's no guarantee that the request will ultimately be granted.
The Detroit Red Wings officially wrapped up the 2026 NHL Draft, and their next step will be their annual Development Camp.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, along with Assistant GM and Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Draper, held a media availability session immediately following the conclusion of the Draft, and naturally, the first question posed was regarding the trade request of captain Dylan Larkin that was made public earlier this month.
While Yzerman said he preferred to keep the focus of the media session on the club's recent Draft selections, he did conclude his remarks about the picks by not only confirming Larkin's trade request, but also saying there's no guarantee that it will be granted.
"Shortly after the season, I received a phone call from Dylan Larkin's agent informing me that Dylan would like to be traded," he said. "A week or so after that, Dylan's agent followed up with a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade (clause) to go to."
"Having said that, Dylan has five years remaining on his contract," he continued. "My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that."
Yzerman confirmed Larkin's trade request, but also acknowledged the presence of a great deal of uncertainty of how things will ultimately unfold.
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"So, I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that request could or would be met," he said. "There is certainly a lot of uncertainty around that. So, for the time being, I can confirm that, yes, that request was made."
"I think I will be in a position to maybe answer more questions and be more specific in the future," he concluded. "Today, I'd like to leave it at that, and I'd like the majority of the attention to be placed on the prospects we've added to our organization."
Larkin still has five years remaining on his contract with an $8.7 million salary cap hit. The 37th captain in team history, he was selected by former Red Wings GM Ken Holland in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2014 NHL Draft, and later made his NHL debut in October 2015, scoring in his inaugural contest.
He's scored 30 or more goals in each of the last five seasons, including a career-high 34 tallies in 2025-26.
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