{"id":730206,"date":"2026-06-28T01:12:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T01:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/730206\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T01:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T01:12:16","slug":"steve-yzerman-breaks-silence-on-larkins-trade-request-i-cannot-make-any-guarantees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/730206\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Yzerman breaks silence on Larkin\u2019s trade request: \u2018I cannot make any guarantees\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking publicly for the first time since Dylan Larkin\u2019s trade request<\/a> earlier this summer, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acknowledged his captain\u2019s request, but wouldn\u2019t go any further than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cDylan has five years remaining on his contract,\u201d Yzerman said Saturday. \u201cMy 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. I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yzerman made those comments in the immediate aftermath of the 2026 NHL Draft. He addressed the media via a Zoom call that featured both himself and assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper \u2014 a change in how the Red Wings have previously handled their post-draft media availability, with the general manager and scouting director appearing separately in past years. And in doing so, Yzerman also said that the pair were \u201chappy to discuss or answer questions regarding the recently completed draft. We\u2019re happy to answer questions regarding that, the choices we\u2019ve made, and the focus will be on this year\u2019s draft and the players that we selected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The subtext: he did not wish to discuss Larkin, whose trade request \u2014 and whatever comes of it \u2014 will naturally shape the Red Wings\u2019 offseason and future direction.<\/p>\n

After multiple reporters asked questions about the topic, though, Yzerman closed with a brief statement on Larkin and did not take follow-up questions. He first confirmed that Larkin had requested a trade through his agent, and that Larkin\u2019s agent had \u201cfollowed up with a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade (clause) to go to.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said, \u201cI think I will be in a position to maybe answer more questions and be more specific in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for the time being, that was as far as he was willing to go: acknowledging the request but not committing to granting it.<\/p>\n

That part shouldn\u2019t be a surprise. We have seen how Yzerman has handled trade requests in the past<\/a>, and it is clear from that history that his top priority is not simply to be accommodating. His words on Saturday underscore that.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the unresolved Larkin situation remains a cloud<\/a> over everything else about the Red Wings\u2019 offseason \u2014 the draft, the upcoming free agency period and more. That\u2019s the weight of such a request from a player as important to an organization as Larkin, who has been the team\u2019s captain since 2021 and its top-line center for even longer.<\/p>\n

Reached by The Athletic, Larkin\u2019s agent Pat Brisson also broke his silence on his client\u2019s trade request Saturday. Brisson felt it appropriate to comment given that Yzerman had also finally talked about it with the media.<\/p>\n

As far as Yzerman saying there\u2019s no guarantee he can meet the trade request and he has to do what\u2019s best for the organization, Brisson took no issue with those comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand where he\u2019s coming from,\u201d Brisson said. \u201cThe process is that we\u2019ve had discussions for the last month or so. And we\u2019ve agreed that we\u2019ll be working together on this. I do understand that Steve and the organization have to do what\u2019s best for the Red Wings. We\u2019re trying to work as a \u2018team\u2019 together on this to reach each of our goals, so to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an easy process. But this is something that, it\u2019s not my first time, it\u2019s not our first time (Yzerman included), and we\u2019re trying to navigate this the best way possible to reach our goals. We know it\u2019s a sensitive file, understanding what Dylan means to the Red Wings and also to USA Hockey and the world of hockey. He\u2019s a really good hockey player. But we\u2019re going to continue to the best of our abilities to eventually each our goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked to confirm whether any teams were now on the short list of approved teams, Brisson would not go there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith respect to the process, I\u2019ve always refused to discuss the teams and the number of teams,\u201d said Brisson. \u201cI want to keep as much of these conversations confidential as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for how far the process has come in terms of trade talks and Brisson trying to help Yzerman get to the finish line, is there a timeline coming into sight?<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t really have any idea,\u201d Brisson said. \u201cI really don\u2019t. We\u2019re working on it on a day-to-day basis. That\u2019s all I can say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Certainly, a No. 1 center with Larkin\u2019s highly appealing contract (five more years at a manageable $8.7 million dollars) would draw significant interest in the league, especially with a shallow free agent class set for July 1. He has five consecutive 30-goal seasons in addition to regularly taking on tough matchups for the Red Wings. But that\u2019s where Larkin\u2019s no-trade clause becomes so important, as his list of acceptable destinations essentially defines the market.<\/p>\n

Working within that list could even require a three-team deal to send Larkin to his destination of choice and land Detroit the return it desires. But with Yzerman not delving into specifics Saturday, we still don\u2019t know what Detroit would be looking for in a deal. Will the Red Wings, who have missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons, prioritize win-now players to help them reach the postseason? Or are they amenable to picks and prospects more geared toward the future?<\/p>\n

And with Yzerman not committing to honoring the request, the possibility remains that no trade happens prior to training camp in September.<\/p>\n

This is the story that will ultimately define the Red Wings\u2019 summer and their path forward for the long term as well.<\/p>\n

Both sides have now spoken publicly about it for the first time. But with the heart of the offseason now here, it remains unclear when \u2014 or if\u00a0\u2014 it will all be resolved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Speaking publicly for the first time since Dylan Larkin\u2019s trade request earlier this summer, Detroit Red Wings general…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":730207,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[1786,385,99],"class_list":["post-730206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-detroit-red-wings","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=730206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/730207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=730206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=730206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=730206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}