Red Wings Place Dylan Larkin on Injured Reserve Following Trade Request

Hours before the 2026-27 season opener, the Detroit Red Wings moved former captain Dylan Larkin to non-roster injured reserve while his trade request remains active.

The Detroit Red Wings moved former captain Dylan Larkin to a non-roster injured reserve spot on Friday, hours before their season opener against the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena. Larkin, 30, missed practice time during training camp last month due to an upper-body injury. The Waterford, Michigan native enters the 2026-27 season with an active trade request, seeking a move from the franchise that has missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for 10 consecutive years.

Detroit will begin the season without a named captain following Larkin's request to be moved. The organization stated last month that decisions regarding the captaincy will be deferred until new hockey operations leadership is established. Larkin, a 2014 first-round pick, previously represented Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Milan earlier this year, recording two goals and three points to help secure a gold medal.

The center has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract signed in 2023. While his deal includes a no-trade clause, Larkin has informed the Red Wings he would accept a trade to the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, or Vegas Golden Knights. Larkin acknowledged that his request to leave the club while serving as captain resulted in the team's decision to strip his leadership title.