The Detroit Red Wings are navigating one of the most uncertain periods in recent franchise history after a dramatic front-office shakeup altered the direction of several major hockey decisions.
With the organization searching for a new general manager, one unresolved situation is now overshadowing every other storyline. As the team weighs its next move, fresh insight from a longtime Detroit insider has added another context to an already complicated picture.
Ansar Khan Offers Fresh Dylan Larkin Trade Update
Larkin’s future remains the biggest unanswered question in Detroit, and MLive’s Ansar Khan believes the outcome will determine how quickly the Red Wings can return to playoff contention.
Speaking on the Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer podcast, Khan explained that Steve Yzerman’s departure has created a realistic opportunity for the organization to revisit its relationship with the captain instead of immediately pushing forward with a blockbuster trade.
“I think that’s going to depend entirely on, or at least to a great extent, with what happens with Larkin,” Khan said when discussing Detroit’s playoff timeline. “Now, with Yzerman gone, I wouldn’t rule out a chance that they patch things up with Larkin now and that he comes back, because Larkin’s main issue was he couldn’t get along with Yzerman.”
This possibility has become increasingly relevant after Yzerman stepped down as general manager on July 15 and transitioned into a senior advisor role.
Before his exit, negotiations had stalled because Detroit refused to accept prospect-heavy offers for its captain, instead demanding NHL-ready talent from the handful of teams approved under Larkin’s full no-movement clause. The Dallas Stars reportedly declined to move Wyatt Johnston, while Minnesota pushed futures-based packages that never gained traction.
Even if reconciliation is on the table, Khan cautioned that it would not instantly transform Detroit into a playoff team. He pointed to the additions of Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar as meaningful improvements, but noted that the increasinly inevitable loss of Patrick Kane offsets some of that progress.
“Right now, even with Larkin, they’re not a playoff team,” Khan said. “Without him, and if they were to trade him only for futures and go into another rebuild, they would be on the worse side of things in the league.”
These comments spotlight the difficult position facing Detroit’s next hockey operations leader. Larkin has five years remaining on his team-friendly eight-year, $69.6 million contract carrying an $8.7 million cap hit, giving the Red Wings little incentive to rush into a deal that fails to strengthen the current roster.
Detroit also enters the season with approximately $19.5 million in available cap space, giving the incoming front office flexibility whether it chooses to repair relations with its captain or reshape the roster through a larger rebuild.
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Looking ahead to 2027, the organization is projected to have more than $63 million in cap space, providing even greater long-term maneuverability.
For now, Khan believes everything hinges on one decision.
“If Larkin comes back,” he said, Detroit should remain “about at the same level they were last year,” but if he departs for future assets, the franchise could find itself embarking on another lengthy rebuild rather than ending its decade-long playoff drought.
