Red Wings Face Larkin Trade Request and Front Office Uncertainty

Detroit opens the 2026-27 regular season on Sept. 29 with more than a few unanswered questions hanging over its room: Dylan Larkin has asked for a trade, Steve Yzerman has shifted into a senior adviser post, and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff is overseeing a club still looking to hire its next hockey-operations chief.

Detroit Red Wings 2026-27 Notebook: Larkin Situation Sets the Tone

The Red Wings finished 41-31-10 last season, sixth in the Central Division and outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Todd McLellan is entering his third season behind the Detroit bench, but the club will begin camp without naming a captain.

Larkin, Detroit’s longtime first-line center and captain, is expected to report for training camp despite his trade request. What follows remains unsettled. Detroit must determine whether to move its top center, what return it could command, and how the situation affects Larkin’s performance, the dressing room and the response from the home crowd.

Finishing Games Is Detroit’s Playoff Test

The Red Wings have seen their playoff pushes unravel late in each of the past three seasons. Last year’s collapse was especially costly. Detroit was level with the Carolina Hurricanes atop the Eastern Conference on Jan. 24 and held a 12-point cushion in the postseason race, only to go 9-15-5 the rest of the way.

From Jan. 25 onward, Detroit scored 2.55 goals per game, ranking 30th in the NHL over that stretch. The club also let several third-period leads get away. McLellan pointed to the group’s mental toughness, while the underlying numbers showed a team that needed more bite when games tightened up.

Detroit ended last season 30th in even-strength goals with 142 and ranked 29th in hits at 1,480. Better five-on-five production and a more reliable forecheck will be central to turning a promising winter position into a spring playoff berth.

Arvidsson Brings Scoring, Kolesar Brings a Heavy Game

Viktor Arvidsson is the most obvious addition to the forward group after signing a two-year, $10 million contract on July 1, carrying a $5 million average annual value. He posted 25 goals and 29 assists in 69 games with the Boston Bruins last season. Of his 54 points, 45 came at even strength.

Arvidsson arrives as Detroit loses Patrick Kane, who joined the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year, $16 million deal with an $8 million cap hit on July 23. Kane recorded 57 points in 67 games for the Red Wings, including 16 goals and 41 assists. He produced 38 even-strength points.

Keegan Kolesar may be just as important to Detroit’s identity. Acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, the winger delivered 270 hits last season, seventh-most in the League. Since 2020-21, his 1,416 hits rank fourth in the NHL. His arrival gives Detroit a potential tone-setter on the forecheck and a more physical option lower in the lineup.

Young Forwards Have a Chance to Push Up

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard enters camp with a stronger case after an up-and-down first professional season. The No. 15 selection in the 2024 NHL Draft made Detroit out of camp last fall but was returned to Grand Rapids after registering one assist in nine NHL games. He later appeared in two additional NHL stints and went scoreless in five games.

His AHL work told a more encouraging story. Brandsegg-Nygard collected 20 goals and 24 assists in 60 games for Grand Rapids, then added four goals and four assists in eight Calder Cup Playoff contests. He also helped Norway to a landmark bronze medal at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, producing three goals and three assists in five games. His assist in Norway’s 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the bronze-medal game helped secure the country’s first World Championship medal. He turns 21 on Oct. 5.

Center Nate Danielson could also be in the mix, particularly if the Larkin file changes the middle of the lineup. Danielson scored two goals and added five assists in 28 games with Detroit between Nov. 9 and Jan. 3 last season. After returning to Grand Rapids, he suffered a lower-body injury Feb. 18 and did not play again that season. He is expected to be available for training camp and turns 22 on Sept. 27.

Faulk Gives Detroit a Productive Second-Pair Option

Justin Faulk supplied immediate offense after Detroit acquired him from the St. Louis Blues on March 6. He had five goals and three assists in 17 games for the Red Wings, part of a 40-point season in 78 games overall. The 34-year-old defenseman reached double digits in goals for the seventh time in his career.

Faulk also remains a useful all-around option. He has recorded at least 100 blocked shots in five consecutive seasons. Since 2021-22, he and Rasmus Dahlin are the only NHL defensemen to post at least 45 goals, 700 shots, 450 hits and 500 blocks. Faulk’s totals in that span are 49 goals, 767 shots on goal, 496 hits and 585 blocked shots.

Tracking data from last season placed Faulk among defensemen near the top in several shooting and skating categories: eight mid-range goals, tied for eighth; 50 mid-range shots, in the 97th percentile; 13 high-danger shots, in the 94th percentile; four long-range goals, in the 90th percentile; and 69 speed bursts above 20 mph, also in the 90th percentile. His average fantasy draft position sits at 140.6, making him a late option in formats that reward hits and blocks.

Projected Red Wings Lines and Goaltenders

SEO Title: Detroit Red Wings 2026-27 Preview: Larkin Trade Request, Lines and Key Additions

SEO Description: Detroit heads into 2026-27 with Dylan Larkin’s future unresolved, Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar joining the lineup, and a need to avoid another late-season slide.