Hours before the season opener on home ice, the Detroit Red Wings moved former captain Dylan Larkin to a non-roster injured reserve spot, while the club continues to deal with his trade request. Larkin, 30, who reported to training camp last month but missed some practice time with an upper-body injury, is seeking a deal from the only club he has played for, a franchise that has missed the Stanley Cup playoffs 10 consecutive years.
The Red Wings opened the season against the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena without a captain. As is customary, the entire roster was announced. When 'No. 71, Dylan Larkin' was shown on the video board, a chorus of boos followed. The team said no captain will be named until new hockey operations leadership is in place.
Larkin, a native of Waterford, Michigan, and a 2014 first-round pick, played for Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Milan, winning gold. He has five seasons left on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract with a no-trade clause, initially accepting moves only to the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, or Vegas Golden Knights. When he arrived at camp, he told reporters, 'I'm trying to be professional about it.' He also said, 'I asked for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings as a captain and that has consequences. I understand why that decision was made.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing