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Detroit Red Wings centre Dylan Larkin will not play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, October 29, coach Todd McLellan confirmed following the team’s morning skate. The decision comes as NHL insider David Pagnotta reports that trade negotiations involving the 30-year-old have intensified, with Detroit reportedly preparing to keep Larkin out of games while attempting to finalize a deal.
According to Pagnotta’s October 29 report in The Fourth Period, the Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils have all been involved in discussions with Detroit this week.
McLellan also indicated that interim general manager Shawn Horcoff would address Larkin’s situation. No completed trade or agreement with another club has been announced.
For the Red Wings, this represents a significant change from earlier in October, when Larkin continued playing despite requesting a trade during the offseason.
The biggest question now isn’t whether teams want Dylan Larkin. It’s which organization can satisfy Detroit’s asking price, accommodate his $8.7 million salary-cap hit and secure his approval.
Latest Dylan Larkin Trade Rumors: What Has Changed?
Larkin’s future has been uncertain since he requested a trade following the 2025-26 season. Detroit subsequently removed him as captain, but he reported to the team and returned to regular-season action after recovering from an upper-body injury.
On October 14, Horcoff described the situation as unchanged.
That position now appears to have shifted.
On Wednesday, October 28, Larkin missed practice in what McLellan initially described as a maintenance day. By Thursday morning, the coach had confirmed he would not dress against Chicago.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has also reported that the current expectation is for Larkin to remain out of the lineup until he is traded. Pierre LeBrun separately reported that negotiations have escalated, while cautioning that a deal is not necessarily imminent.
The distinction is important. Detroit’s decision to sit Larkin is confirmed. A specific trade agreement remains unconfirmed.
Why Detroit Faces Its Most Difficult Dylan Larkin Decision Yet
The Red Wings are dealing with something bigger than a routine roster transaction.
Larkin has spent his entire NHL career in Detroit, captained the organization for six seasons and remained a productive centre despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Through 10 games this season, he has recorded two goals and four assists. Those numbers aren’t spectacular, but evaluating Larkin solely through his early-season scoring would ignore his skating, experience, special-teams contributions and ability to handle difficult matchups.
I believe Detroit’s biggest concern should be replacing the role Larkin fills, not simply recovering his statistical production.
An NHL-ready centre could make the transition less disruptive. A package built entirely around distant prospects might offer more theoretical upside but leave Detroit with an immediate hole in its lineup.
There is also a timing issue.
Keeping Larkin out of games could protect him from an injury that jeopardizes negotiations. However, an extended absence could also increase outside pressure on Horcoff to complete a trade.
That doesn’t mean Detroit should accept a disappointing return. It means the organization needs a clear understanding of which assets will actually help its next competitive roster.
Dylan Larkin’s $8.7 Million Contract Changes the Trade Market
Larkin carries an $8.7 million annual cap hit through the 2030-31 season. That is a substantial commitment, but it also provides long-term cost certainty for a club looking to add an established centre rather than acquire a short-term rental.
His trade protection introduces another obstacle. Larkin has reportedly expanded the destinations he would accept, but Detroit still cannot simply send him anywhere it chooses.
Salary retention could make a transaction easier for an acquiring club. The problem is that Detroit would be committing cap space for multiple future seasons, potentially limiting its own flexibility.
A more attractive structure for the Red Wings might involve taking back an existing NHL contract while receiving additional young talent.
That would help balance the financial side without necessarily requiring Detroit to retain salary for the remainder of Larkin’s agreement.
Dylan Larkin Salary-Cap Breakdown
How much of Larkin’s $8.7 million annual cap hit would an acquiring team carry under different hypothetical salary-retention scenarios?
Source: PuckPedia — Dylan Larkin contract , checked October 29, 2026.
Four NHL Teams Reportedly Pursuing Dylan Larkin
Washington Capitals: Could the Protas Brothers Become Trade Pieces?
Washington might offer one of the more intriguing negotiating paths.
Pagnotta reports that Detroit has expressed interest in Alexei and Ilya Protas, although he also notes uncertainty about the Capitals’ willingness to move either player.
That is significant because acquiring established or developing talent, rather than only draft picks, could appeal to a Red Wings organization trying to remain competitive.
My assessment is that Washington’s challenge would be assembling a package that makes sense for Detroit without sacrificing too much of its own future.
Importantly, Detroit’s reported interest in those players does not establish that Washington has offered them.
Minnesota Wild: Danila Yurov Remains a Name to Watch
Minnesota has been connected to Larkin throughout the trade discussion, and Pagnotta identifies Danila Yurov as a potential piece in negotiations.
Yurov represents the type of younger, offensively talented player who could give Detroit something meaningful to build around.
However, there’s a difference between a promising prospect and a proven NHL centre.
A Yurov-based transaction would need to balance Minnesota’s interest in immediate improvement against Detroit’s desire for a strong long-term return.
Financial considerations would also need to be addressed.
Carolina Hurricanes: The Salary-Cap Advantage
Carolina may be particularly interesting because Pagnotta identifies the Hurricanes as having greater cap flexibility than some competing suitors.
That matters in a negotiation involving a player with an $8.7 million cap hit and several seasons remaining on his contract.
Larkin’s speed and two-way ability could fit Carolina’s aggressive approach, and the Hurricanes could potentially take on more of his salary without requiring the same level of financial restructuring.
My view is that Carolina’s relative financial flexibility is a meaningful negotiating advantage. Whether it translates into a competitive player-and-asset package is another question.
New Jersey Devils: An Interesting, but Complicated Fit
The Devils are also among the clubs Pagnotta identifies as having engaged Detroit.
Adding Larkin would provide New Jersey with another experienced centre and additional scoring depth.
However, an acquisition of this size needs to be judged against the organization’s existing commitments and the role Larkin would occupy.
New Jersey’s challenge isn’t simply determining whether Larkin is a good player. It is deciding whether paying a major acquisition cost for another centre is the best use of its remaining resources.
For now, there is no verified specific Devils trade package to evaluate.
What About the Montreal Canadiens?
Montreal remains a fascinating secondary storyline, but there is an important complication.
According to Pagnotta, the Canadiens continue hoping Larkin will approve a move to Montreal. They are not among the 10 teams he currently identifies as approved destinations.
That makes the situation different from Washington, Minnesota, Carolina and New Jersey.
As NHLTradeRumor.com examined in its earlier report on Detroit’s asking price and Montreal prospect Michael Hage, the Canadiens could face difficult decisions about which young assets they would sacrifice.
Until Larkin agrees to consider Montreal, a Canadiens trade remains a possibility rather than an established negotiating outcome.
What Happens Next for Larkin and the Red Wings?
The immediate development to monitor is Horcoff’s explanation for Larkin’s absence.
Beyond that, three questions will determine how quickly the story progresses: whether Larkin remains out for additional games, whether one of the reported suitors emerges as a clear front-runner and whether Detroit adjusts its expectations to complete a transaction.
The Red Wings must also decide how to handle their forward group if the absence continues.
If Larkin has played his final game for Detroit, the organization faces the difficult task of turning a longtime franchise cornerstone into assets capable of helping its next chapter.
Final Take: Detroit Cannot Afford to Get This Wrong
I believe Larkin’s situation has entered its most consequential stage.
Keeping a valuable player out of the lineup while negotiating a trade is a defensible strategy, but it creates a new challenge: Detroit must obtain full value while other teams know a resolution is being pursued.
My preference for the Red Wings would be a return featuring a legitimate young NHL contributor, supplemented by additional future assets.
A collection of draft picks alone would leave too much uncertainty for a team that has already spent years trying to establish a competitive foundation.
For now, Larkin remains a Red Wing, four teams have reportedly been involved in negotiations, and the next official statement could substantially change the trade picture.
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