Red Wings Fans Boo Dylan Larkin in Injury Return Amid Trade Request Fallout
Dylan Larkin's return to the Detroit lineup didn't come with any grace period. The moment the center touched the puck Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators, boos rained down — and they kept coming all night.
It was Larkin's first game of the season after missing the first two with an upper-body injury. Even before that, fans made their feelings clear during the home opener, booing him when he was introduced as a healthy scratch.
The root of it goes back to June 4, when Larkin formally requested a trade. That request has yet to be resolved, and the reasons are tied up in a front office that still isn't settled.
Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager on July 15. Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM on September 15, and the team has not hired a permanent replacement. That search has frozen much of the roster in place — including Larkin's situation, since a new GM would typically be the one to negotiate or execute a move of that size.
Larkin has also narrowed the team's options, further complicating any path out of Detroit.
He isn't the only unresolved case. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson entered the season without a contract as a restricted free agent. Talks were already far apart before Yzerman's departure, and Edvinsson reported to training camp in good faith while negotiations continued.
Those talks didn't produce a deal. Edvinsson has since returned home to Sweden and requested a trade of his own.
Two core players asking out, an interim GM, and a fanbase that has made its opinion loud and clear. The Red Wings are still searching for their first win of the season — and for answers on a roster that is increasingly hard to read.
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