DETROIT — Dylan Larkin will report to Detroit Red Wings training camp next week and will not do it as captain, the team and the center said in separate statements Friday.
Detroit will open the 2026-27 season without a captain. Larkin had worn the “C” since Jan. 13, 2021. Camp opens Sept. 17 at Little Caesars Arena.
“Over the past couple of weeks, Red Wings leadership and I have had several in-depth discussions,” Larkin said in his statement. “I’ve appreciated those candid conversations and I will be at training camp with my teammates. When new leadership is in place, we’ll talk further about the direction of the team. We will keep those conversations private, and I will keep my focus on the season ahead and on the guys in that room.”
“Dylan is under contract as a member of the Detroit Red Wings,” the team said in its statement. “Any conversations regarding his future with the club will take place privately when a new hockey operations leader has been named. As such, we will not comment any further on this matter. We look forward to seeing Dylan and the rest of his teammates at Little Caesars Arena for the start of training camp as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
The team continued: “The Red Wings will begin the 2026-27 season without a captain being named. Any further discussions or decisions regarding this topic will be made once new hockey operations leadership is in place.”
Larkin requested a trade in early June. Then-general manager Steve Yzerman confirmed the request and said Larkin had given the club “a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade (clause) to go to.” Detroit announced on July 15 that Yzerman would move from executive vice president and general manager to a senior adviser role reporting to governor and CEO Chris Ilitch. Assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff has handled day-to-day hockey operations since, representing Detroit on the NHL’s Sept. 8 virtual call with general managers and coaches. Detroit Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg, reported as the leading external candidate, withdrew from consideration on Sept. 7, per Elliotte Friedman.
Dylan Larkin’s Contract and Trade List
Larkin has five years remaining on the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023. The deal carries an $8.7 million cap hit and runs through 2030-31, when Larkin will be 33. The full no-trade clause runs with it.
Daily Faceoff reported in July that the list had stayed at three teams: the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press first reported those names on June 8.
Ansar Khan of MLive later reported that Larkin added the Dallas Stars, making it four. Khan also reported that Detroit and Dallas discussed a framework and that the Red Wings asked for Wyatt Johnston, which Dallas declined. Johnston scored 45 goals and added 41 assists for 86 points in 82 games last season. He is signed through 2029-30 at $8.4 million a season.
What Dylan Larkin Did Last Season
Larkin scored a career-high 34 goals and added 33 assists for 67 points in 74 games in 2025-26. Alex DeBrincat led Detroit with 41 goals and 85 points. Larkin missed seven games from March 8 to March 21 with a lower-body injury.
Detroit finished 41-31-10 and missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season, following a franchise-record 25 straight appearances. The Red Wings were 32-16-5 on Jan. 25 and tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the best record in the Eastern Conference. They went 9-15-5 the rest of the way, including 5-7-2 in March. Detroit also went 5-9-1 in March 2023, 3-9-2 in March 2024, and 4-10-0 in March 2025.
Through the end of February, Detroit ranked ninth on the power play at 23.2%. The penalty kill ranked 18th. In March, the power play converted 18.2% and ranked 25th, and the penalty kill killed 71.4% and ranked 29th.
Larkin, a Waterford, Michigan, native, was selected 15th overall by Detroit in the 2014 NHL Draft and has spent all 11 NHL seasons with the club. He has 276 goals and 367 assists for 643 points in 808 regular-season games, 10th in franchise history. He has appeared in five career playoff games. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Detroit opens the regular season against the New York Rangers on Friday, Oct. 2 at Little Caesars Arena. Puck drop is 5:30 p.m. CT on TNT.
