Dylan Larkin Trade Talks Escalate as Red Wings Forward Sits Out

Detroit’s Dylan Larkin is out of the lineup amid a reported rise in trade activity, putting the Red Wings’ next steps under a sharper spotlight. Multiple reporters describe active discussions, and one says Larkin is expected to remain out until a deal is completed. Still, the reports don’t establish that a trade is imminent—or that one is guaranteed.

Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin won’t play and is expected to stay out until he’s traded. Frank Seravalli similarly reported that Detroit’s plan is to hold him out for asset protection while talks continue, adding that Larkin’s camp has applied pressure. Those accounts frame the absence as connected to the trade process, though the reports don’t provide further details about the pressure or its specific terms.

That distinction matters. A player sitting out while discussions advance can signal that the situation has reached a consequential point, but it doesn’t mean the teams have settled on a return or that a transaction is close. Pierre LeBrun said the talks had escalated, while cautioning that they could still lead in several directions and might not produce a deal soon. For now, the clearest takeaway is that Detroit and interested clubs are engaging more seriously.

Talks on Larkin’s list have advanced

Marco D’Amico reported that conversations had progressed between Detroit and a couple of teams on Larkin’s current trade list. He said he had not heard that the situation was a pressure tactic intended to widen that list. Larkin’s 10-team list therefore remains a key constraint in the reported discussions: teams outside it may have limited relevance unless the circumstances change, while clubs on it have a clearer path to engaging.

D’Amico specifically pointed to Minnesota, Washington and Carolina as teams to watch. Separately, Daily Faceoff relayed David Pagnotta’s report that Carolina is one club to monitor, alongside other teams that have tried to engage. The reporting identifies possible points of interest, not confirmed offers or a preferred destination. No trade package, salary detail or agreement has been reported in the material available here.

That leaves the central questions unanswered: whether one of the teams on Larkin’s list can meet Detroit’s expectations, whether the parties can settle on the pieces involved, and how quickly they can do it. A sharper pace in conversations can bring clarity, but it can also end without a deal. Until there is a completed transaction, Larkin remains a Red Wings player whose status is being shaped by negotiations that reporters describe as active.

Edvinsson is a separate situation

Trade chatter around Simon Edvinsson has also picked up, but his case has its own timeline and should not be treated as evidence that a Larkin deal is done. Pagnotta said he had spoken with two teams that believe Edvinsson could be moved at some point. He also noted that there was a little over a month to get something done for this season because Edvinsson has to sign by Dec. 1. The report does not specify a return or say that Detroit has reached an agreement with any club.

Pagnotta named St. Louis and Nashville among teams he continued to watch in connection with Edvinsson, and said Seattle had checked in on that side as well. He described Carolina as a club to watch in Detroit’s conversations involving Larkin. Those names indicate where reporters have heard interest or activity; they don’t establish that every team is pursuing both players.

The two situations create a broader roster question for Detroit, but the available reporting doesn’t say the Red Wings are packaging Larkin and Edvinsson together. Their discussions may involve different teams, different goals and different decision points. For Larkin, the immediate news is the reported holdout from the lineup and advancing talks with clubs on his list. For Edvinsson, the reporting points to interest and a signing deadline that limits the window to complete a move for this season.

What to watch next

Detroit’s next update on Larkin’s absence could help clarify whether the holdout remains tied to the trade talks, as reporters have described, or whether another factor is involved. Pagnotta said Larkin missed the previous morning’s practice and raised the possibility of a minor injury as an alternative explanation at that point. Later reports from Friedman and Seravalli connected his absence to a potential trade, but no specific injury details or medical confirmation were provided.

The most useful indicators will be whether Detroit’s discussions produce a concrete agreement and whether the player’s status changes. The reporting supports a meaningful increase in activity, not a completed move. Larkin’s 10-team list, Detroit’s expectations and the willingness of an interested club to reach terms will determine whether this pause ends in a trade. Until then, the Red Wings’ plans remain unsettled, and the reports leave several possible outcomes open.

Related coverage: Reverse Engineering a Dylan Larkin Trade? and Buffalo Sabres and Chicago Blackhawks Looking for Scoring.