Dylan Larkin is back in the middle of it, and Todd McLellan now coaches a room that can't afford another leadership fracture.
A new X post from Gino Hard dropped a line that will hit Red Wings fans hard: “There's a belief that the rift between Dylan Larkin and Steve Yzerman began after Henrik Zetterberg retired.”
That's not a small locker-room detail. That's the kind of claim that goes straight to the captain, the front office, and the trust line between them.
The post adds that Larkin “wasn't named Red Wings captain for over 2 years.” That part matters because captaincy delays don't just sit on a shelf. Players notice them. So do agents, veterans, and the rest of the bench.
If that belief has real traction inside Detroit circles, then the new reasoning is bigger than one old slight. It points to a relationship issue with the team's most important skater, and that's the kind of issue that follows every roster call.
The clip doesn't show a hit or a blown coverage. It lands because the accusation is clean and direct, and because it ties Zetterberg's exit to what came next for Larkin.
There's a belief that the rift between Dylan Larkin and Steve Yzerman began after Henrik Zetterberg retired, and Larkin wasn't named Red Wings captain for over 2 years
(via @AnsarKhanMLive @JasonGregor Show)
Khan is a team writer. A close source to say the least.
-
That's why this post has real weight. It doesn't just revisit old tension. It frames the captaincy gap as the moment the disconnect may have started.
If the captain lost trust, the whole build changes
And that's the major takeaway here. If Yzerman ever loses standing in Detroit, the reason may not start with one bad season or one trade. It may start with how the franchise center felt he was handled.
Larkin isn't just another top-six forward. He's the face of the room, the player younger Wings follow, and the one fans read when they're trying to figure out the temperature of the team.
For that reason alone, any report tying Yzerman to a long-running issue with Larkin hits differently. A front office can survive misses on the blue line. It has a much tougher time surviving distance from its captain.
One fact needs to stay clear: Steve Yzerman is still Detroit's general manager, and Todd McLellan is still the Red Wings' head coach.
But if this report is even partly true, it unveils the clearest pressure point around Yzerman yet. In Detroit, tension with Dylan Larkin wouldn't be background noise. It would be the story.
Did the delayed captaincy damage Dylan Larkin's trust in Steve Yzerman?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Major last-minute announcement on the Maple Leafs and Canadiens
