Dylan Larkin spoke for the first time since last season on Thursday and said almost nothing about why he asked the Red Wings for a trade.
Michael Whitaker had the session for The Hockey News, from the opening day of a camp the captain could not take part in.
He is unable to skate. An upper body injury during a recent off ice training session kept him off the sheet entirely.
He sat beside new interim general manager Shawn Horcoff and got the obvious question immediately. Does the trade request still stand?
"There's a lot there, a lot of personal stuff," he said. "I'm going to try and be honest. I'm not ready to go there yet."
"I understand that there are answers that fans and people who care about this organization around the world want to know, but I'm really not ready to go there."
He added it may be something he is never ready for. "It wasn't easy to get to that decision; it was very hard. It wasn't spur-of-the-moment; I don't take what I did lightly."
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Dylan Larkin's first comments since requesting a trade stun Red Wings fans
That was the other thread running through the room. Reports in recent months had his communication with the now former general manager as sporadic at best.
The relationship reportedly frayed after he publicly criticized the lack of meaningful moves at the 2025 trade deadline. He did not confirm any of that on Thursday.
"I have nothing but respect for Steve," he said. "I'm a player on this team, and he was the general manager, and I respect that."
"In any organization, competitive people are going to have differences, and I think that's what makes him great. I learned a ton from him in terms of leadership."
What he never actually addressed was his communication level over the last two seasons. Ryan Lambert wrote for the same outlet that fans were owed more than that.
Hard to argue. The on ice version of this player has been anything but vague.
Thirty four goals and 67 points on an $8.7 million cap hit last season. Nine of those goals won hockey games, more than anybody else in that room.
The C is already gone from his sweater. Detroit opens the season without naming a replacement.
The record was 41-31-10, good for 16th overall, with two wins across the final 10 games and an 8-1 loss in Florida to finish.
Horcoff has bigger problems than a vague press conference. Simon Edvinsson is still unsigned and Alex DeBrincat can walk when this season ends.
So how long can a team function with a captain who will not explain himself and cannot practice?
A first media session that answers nothing is like opening a letter and finding a blank page. You still have to carry it around.
Columbus hosts Detroit on Monday for the preseason opener. Somebody is going to ask the question again, and the answer may not change until February.
Source : Injured Dylan Larkin Addresses Trade Request And Relationship With Steve
Does Dylan Larkin owe Red Wings fans a real explanation for his trade request?
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