Todd McLellan admitted the Dylan Larkin saga is a distraction, and the Red Wings coach made it clear he's done discussing it.
“I'd be lying if I said everything going on wasn't a distraction, but we have a responsibility to focus on what we can control,” McLellan said in Montreal.
“I'm done talking about it. I'm sick and tired of talking about it,” he added.
“I'm not talking about it anymore.”
The questions came after Canadiens fans chanted “We want Larkin” during Saturday's game, according to Brad Galli.
Credit him for the honesty. Pretending a public trade saga isn't affecting the room would insult everyone's intelligence.
Coaching through this is like trying to cook dinner while the realtor shows your house. You can keep stirring the pot, but strangers keep wandering through the kitchen.
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Todd McLellan snaps and says he is done discussing the Dylan Larkin saga
The Red Wings lost 1-0 in a shootout, and they couldn't score through 65 minutes against Jacob Fowler.
Fowler made 30 saves, and Tarasov matched him with 30 of his own at the other end.
Detroit has managed just 10 goals through five games.
Larkin put 4 shots on goal in 22:40 but couldn't solve the young netminder.
He has a goal and an assist in three games on an $8,700,000 cap hit.
Lucas Raymond is still looking for his first goal, while Alex DeBrincat leads the team with 5 points.
There's a goalie question building, too. Daniil Tarasov sits at .974 with a shutout, while John Gibson is at .862.
McLellan can stop talking about the trade noise, but somebody upstairs eventually has to act on it.
How long can a coach keep a room focused when the biggest name in it keeps getting asked about other cities?
The Red Wings are 1-3-1 and host New Jersey on Tuesday before Philadelphia visits on Thursday.
The coach drew his line in the sand. The next question is whether the front office draws one of its own before the distraction costs more points.
Is the Dylan Larkin trade saga hurting the Red Wings on the ice?
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Elliotte Friedman: Nikishin's trade request stalls as the Hurricanes remain open to bringing him back
