Dylan Larkin Refuses to Expand Trade List Beyond 10 Teams

Red Wings Notebook & Dylan Larkin Updates.

Detroit Red Wings suspended captain Dylan Larkin continues to refuse expanding his trade request beyond the current list of 10 teams.

Larkin made it clear he will not play another game for the Original Six franchise.

The Red Wings responded by suspending their former captain.

That standoff is now entering its most critical phase.

According to David Pagnotta of Daily Faceoff, league sources predicted someone would budge around U.S. Thanksgiving.

That date falls on November 26, 2026.

“I was given this until U.S. Thanksgiving before somebody budges, be it [Larkin] or the Wings’ side,” Pagnotta said on Daily Faceoff LIVE.

“So we’ve got three weeks to go or something like that, before we hit that mark.”

Pagnotta added that he expected an adjustment around this time period.

He referenced Elliotte Friedman discussing the same timeline over the weekend.

“Obviously, it hasn’t happened yet, and they’ve dug in,” Pagnotta said.

“Larkin’s camp has kind of dug in.”

The Red Wings have asked Larkin to expand his list of preferred destinations.

His camp has declined.

That leaves Detroit in a difficult position.

The team wants to move Larkin but cannot negotiate freely with the full league.

Larkin’s list of 10 teams limits the market.

Some teams around the NHL are still focused on Larkin in trade talks.

Others have shifted attention toward defenseman Simon Edvinsson.

“Depending who you talk to around the league, some teams believe that they’re still focused on Larkin versus [Simon Edvinsson], and some believe that they’ve shifted a little bit more towards Edvinsson’s side in terms of those trade discussions,” Pagnotta said.

Larkin faces a formal deadline beyond the Thanksgiving informal marker.

December 1 is the date by which he must sign a contract to play this season.

If no deal is reached, he cannot play for any team in 2026-27.

That deadline puts pressure on both sides.

Teams not on Larkin’s list are monitoring the situation closely.

“Then, you have other teams that are looking at Montreal and Buffalo and Boston, and you know teams that aren’t on his list,” Pagnotta said.

“Going, ‘Hey, please let us know. We want to make this happen. Can he change his mind yet, or what?’

“They’re just kind of waiting.”

The Boston Bruins have emerged as one of the most interested parties.

Boston is not on Larkin’s trade list.

But the Bruins are trying to find a way to convince Larkin and the Red Wings to make a deal.

There is one major obstacle: James Hagens.

According to veteran NHL journalist James Murphy, the Red Wings’ ask for Larkin begins with Hagens.

Hagens was the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

He is considered a top prospect and a key piece of Boston’s future.

“The problem with the Bruins and the Wings is the Wings want James Hagens and the Bruins aren’t doing that,” Murphy reported, citing an unnamed source.

“I’ve heard Mason Lohrei too but I gotta think with the start that kid has had and where their team is, not sure that’s happening either.”

The Bruins are trying to convince Detroit to accept a different package.

Murphy’s source said Boston is pushing Pavel Zacha as an alternative.

Zacha is a 28-year-old center who can contribute immediately.

“I do wonder if the Bruins could convince Detroit that Zacha is more of an immediate impact and if they include Mason Lohrei or a first round pick, does that get it done,” the source said.

That proposed package — Pavel Zacha, Mason Lohrei, and a first-round pick — would fall well short of Detroit’s asking price.

Neither Zacha nor Lohrei are on the same level as Hagens as a prospect.

Hagens would fit the Red Wings’ ongoing rebuild.

Detroit is in the middle of a multi-year roster reconstruction.

Adding a young, high-ceiling center like Hagens would accelerate that process.

Boston general manager Don Sweeney is not expected to meet Detroit’s demands.

“Needless to say, Don Sweeney isn’t going anywhere near that deal even with a 10-foot pole,” Murphy wrote.

The Red Wings appear unwilling to lower their ask.

Larkin’s camp appears unwilling to expand his list.

The standoff continues with no clear resolution in sight.

Pagnotta said he still does not know which side will blink first.

“Sounds like Dylan Larkin and his camp have dug their heels in even more,” he said.

“My timeline is – this goes to Thanksgiving.

“I’d be a little bit surprised if it goes that long, but I think that’s the point where one side’s going to start to budge.”

The team that ultimately lands Larkin may simply be the one with the most patience.

Larkin, 30, has spent his entire NHL career with Detroit.

He was drafted 15th overall by the Red Wings in 2014.

He served as team captain from 2021 until his suspension.

In 748 career games, he has recorded 211 goals and 375 assists for 586 points.

His $8.7 million cap hit runs through the 2030-31 season.

That contract is a significant factor in trade negotiations.

Any team acquiring Larkin must fit that salary under the salary cap.

The cap for the 2026-27 season is projected to rise, but exact figures are not yet finalized.