Detroit Red Wings catch fans off guard with Dylan Larkin decision

Moritz Seider might be next in line for the Red Wings' captaincy, and Dylan Larkin's return to Detroit may not change a thing.

That's the word from insider Ansar Khan, relayed by NHL Rumour Report on July 19th. The framing was blunt: Seider is the pick, even if Larkin sticks around.

And that's the part that stings. Larkin asked out of Detroit months ago.

Ansar Khan: Re Red Wings: Mo Seider will be the next captain, I wouldn't be surprised if that happens even if Dylan Larkin comes back.

He hasn't been dealt. He might not be by the time camp opens, and now there's chatter he could return to a locker room where someone else wears the C.

Seider's case writes itself. He put up 60 points in 82 games this season, with a plus-15 rating that stands out on a Red Wings blue line that leaked all year.

Over his last 10 games, Seider posted nine points, including eight assists, the kind of stretch that gets a young defenseman noticed in Detroit's front office.

Larkin, for what it's worth, hasn't stopped producing either. He finished with 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points across 74 games, plus five goals over his final 10.

Larkin's trade future still hangs over Hockeytown

Larkin carries a cap hit of $8,700,000. Seider sits close behind at $8,550,000. Money isn't the issue here. Trust might be.

Handing the captaincy to a player while your franchise center's trade request is still unresolved is like promoting a new manager while the old boss still has the keys to the office. Awkward doesn't begin to cover it.

Steve Yzerman built this roster and hired Todd McLellan back in December 2024 to steady it. Neither man has confirmed anything about a captaincy change publicly.

The Red Wings finished 41-31-10 for 92 points, ranked 16th overall and sixth in their division, with a goal differential of -17. They dropped their final game 1-8 at Florida and closed the year on a three-game slide.

So what happens if Larkin walks into that room this fall and sees someone else wearing the letter? Nobody in Detroit seems ready to answer that yet, and maybe that's the point.