Dylan Larkin has Todd McLellan staring at the same Detroit problem that still refuses to cool down.
Elliotte Friedman saying part of him still does not believe Larkin will start next season in Detroit hit because this story already moved past rumor-stage noise. Steve Yzerman confirmed the trade request came in after the season.
That changes the tone around everything Detroit does now. This is not a rival team poking around on a depth piece. This is the captain, the top center, and the player the Red Wings still lean on when the game gets heavy.
Larkin also is not coming off a soft year. He scored 34 goals and finished with 67 points in 74 games, which is why Friedman's doubt lands so hard across the league.
Detroit's team result only sharpens it. The Red Wings finished 41-31-10 with 92 points and still missed, which makes any tension around the captain feel even bigger.
That is the problem for Yzerman. He is trying to calm a roster that already ran out of runway, and the biggest file on his desk is still the one tied to the room's most important player.
Larkin's contract adds another layer. He carries an $8.7 million cap hit, so this is not some easy hockey trade where Detroit can shrug and move on.
"Elliotte Friedman: Part of me still doesn't believe that Dylan Larkin will start next year in Detroit - 32 Thoughts (7/6)"
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Elliotte Friedman shares a surprising update on Dylan Larkin
McLellan can coach around a lot. He cannot easily coach around losing his 1C after taking over a team that already finished at -17 in goal differential.
That is why Friedman's line sticks. Even now, after all the public talk, there is still a real feeling around the league that this thing is not settled. That is an inference from Friedman's latest comment and Yzerman's own confirmation that the process is active.
And Detroit cannot afford to read this as empty pressure. Alex DeBrincat just posted 41 goals and 85 points, but one strong wing season does not erase what Larkin means down the middle.
The final weeks of last season still hang over this too. Detroit went 2-6-2 in its last 10, and that kind of finish tends to crack open bigger questions fast.
So now the Red Wings sit in the worst spot a team can hit in July. The player is good enough to anchor the whole plan, important enough to shake the whole room, and unhappy enough that even Friedman still is not buying a quiet return.
Until that changes, every Detroit move feels temporary. Because no matter what else Yzerman does this summer, the franchise still looks stuck waiting on Dylan Larkin's next decision.
Will Dylan Larkin really start next season with the Red Wings?
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