The Red Wings' next hire could define the franchise for years, and Chris Ilitch is still looking

Dylan Larkin still wants out, and the Red Wings still don't have a full-time GM to make that call. Chris Ilitch just added another layer.

Detroit's owner told The Athletic's Max Bultman this week that the club is hunting for a President of Hockey Operations. That hire, not Ilitch, will pick the full-time general manager.

Interim GM Shawn Horcoff remains a candidate for the role. He's already shown he has the authority, signing Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year, $91 million extension earlier in the week.

“He's come in; he's hit the ground running,” Ilitch said of Horcoff.

What the owner didn't offer was a timeline. No date for a president means no date for a permanent GM either.

Meanwhile, the Larkin trade talks keep rolling. The 30-year-old forward carries an $8,700,000 cap hit and has three points in five games this season.

Here's the problem. Shopping your former captain before anyone knows who's running hockey ops is like listing the house before deciding who's moving in.

Simon Edvinsson talks stay murky as Detroit sits last in the Atlantic

The blue line has its own fog. Contract negotiations with restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson remain unsettled.

Horcoff said this week he isn't interested in trading Edvinsson. He's still engaged in trade talks with other clubs, which tells you the phone is ringing.

And the standings offer no cover. Detroit sits eighth in the Atlantic at 2-3-2, with a -5 goal differential through seven games.

Thursday's 2-1 regulation win over the Flyers was only the second of the season. Philadelphia left town still winless through nine games.

DeBrincat is at least earning the new deal. The winger has four goals and eight points so far.

Ilitch admitted he's as frustrated as the fans. He wants an “innovative difference-maker” who uses analytics without letting them “over-emphasize” the evaluation.

“I'm determined to find the right leadership, and I'm not really looking backwards,” Ilitch said.

But how long can a roster wait on a boss who hasn't been hired? Todd McLellan's group hosts San Jose tonight, then heads west to Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

That's four straight road games for a team that has played only once away from home. Somewhere on that trip, Larkin could be wearing another jersey, or Horcoff could still be taking calls for a president nobody has met.

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