Dylan Larkin has Todd McLellan stuck waiting on Detroit's biggest unfinished story.
Chris Johnston's update changed the temperature a bit. He said things have been pretty quiet around Larkin since the end of the draft, which matters after weeks of noise around the Red Wings captain.
Quiet does not mean dead, though. Ansar Khan reported Detroit had talks with Dallas and asked about Wyatt Johnston, a price point that was never going anywhere.
" Chris Johnston: Re Dylan Larkin trade request: It has quite frankly been pretty quiet around him since I'd say the end of the draft - Chris Johnston Show (7/10) "
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That detail says plenty about where Steve Yzerman's head is at. If the Red Wings are even floating Wyatt Johnston's name back, they are treating Larkin like a franchise piece, not a player they are looking to move for futures and filler. That is an inference from Khan's report and Johnston's value.
It also explains why the market may have cooled. Teams will call on Larkin because he is a 34-goal center with real speed and real bite, but the number coming back from Detroit is obviously massive.
Larkin finished 2025-26 with 67 points in 74 games. That is top-line production, and Detroit is not going to act like those players grow on trees.
Detroit may be quieter, not closer to done
This is where the Johnston update matters most. “Pretty quiet” after the draft sounds less like resolution and more like a pause while everyone recalculates the cost.
Dallas was always an interesting fit because Larkin reportedly added the Stars to the small list of teams he would consider. But once Wyatt Johnston entered the conversation, the whole thing hit a wall.
" Ansar Khan: Re Dylan Larkin: The Red Wings had talks with the Stars and according to a league source asked for young center Wyatt Johnston in return. It doesn't hurt to ask, but there was no chance of that happening - MLive (7/9) "
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And you can see why Dallas slammed that door. Wyatt Johnston is 23 and coming off 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games, which makes him the exact kind of player contenders protect, not flip for a different center.
For Detroit, the silence can still help. The Red Wings finished 41-31-10 and missed again, but there is no reason to force a bad July trade when Larkin is signed long term and still holds premium value.
That leaves McLellan in an awkward spot. He has to prepare for camp while the captain's future is still the biggest thing hanging over the room. That is an inference from the ongoing reports and Larkin's role.
The clean read right now is that the chatter has cooled because Detroit's ask is still sky-high. If that stays true, Larkin may still open the season in red and white even if nobody around the league believes this story is truly over.
Will Dylan Larkin still be a Red Wing when next season starts?
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