Steve Yzerman has reached a decision on Dylan Larkin

Steve Yzerman is holding firm on Dylan Larkin, and the Red Wings want the captain's situation resolved by free agency, even if it means a hard line.

This builds on a long saga. Larkin requested a trade, Yzerman has controlled the process by expanding the approved list, and Detroit wants a real return, not a salary dump.

One columnist took it further. George Malik, riffing off a David Pagnotta take, offered a gut feeling: Yzerman is hard-nosed enough to make Larkin sit out or report in September if he can't land an appealing return.

Look at the player at the center. Larkin is 29 on an $8.7M deal, coming off 34 goals and 67 points. That's a captain you only move for a strong package.

Malik laid out his read here.

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The hardball scenario that could drag into September

The logic behind it is sound. A GM who can credibly wait bargains from strength, and you don't get value if you're desperate to move a player by July 1.

But a holdout is a blunt tool. It can sour a captain's value and the room, so it's a last resort, not a strategy a team reaches for by choice.

The market shapes the patience, too. Detroit has reportedly drawn interest, with the Wild long tied to Larkin, and the return is the entire question. Yzerman won't move without it.

There's a roster around him to protect, as well. Detroit finished 16th with Alex DeBrincat's 41 goals leading the way, so this isn't a teardown, it's a team trying to take a step.

Here's my read: holding firm is the right posture. You don't give away a captain.

Whether Yzerman would actually let it reach a September holdout is Malik's guess, not gospel, but the core point stands, leverage comes from a willingness to wait.

So the Larkin standoff heads into the draft and free agency unresolved.

Whether Yzerman lands his price or digs in for a longer fight is the thread to follow. Firm, but a long way from finished.

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Steve Yzerman has reached a decision on Dylan Larkin