Dylan Larkin: Here’s the ridiculous reason why he might be mad at Steve Yzerman

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Dylan Larkin: Here’s the ridiculous reason why he might be mad at Steve Yzerman
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Dylan Larkin had asked the Red Wings to trade him. The team's captain is clearly fed up with missing the playoffs and wants to play competitive hockey.

Will his wish come true? Good question.

But in recent days, the topic has resurfaced following Steve Yzerman's “departure” from his role as GM of the Red Wings. So the question is whether this opens the door for Larkin to stay… because from what we understand, the relationship between Larkin and the former GM wasn't exactly smooth sailing.

On that note, Ansar Khan took advantage of his appearance on The Jason Gregor Show to discuss that relationship. And according to the reporter—who covers the team for MLive—Larkin has apparently held a grudge against Yzerman for a very long time.

The reason? He feels it took too long for him to be named team captain. That's what Khan says around the 30-minute mark of the following video.

As a reminder, at the end of the 2017–18 season, Henrik Zetterberg (who was the team's captain at the time) announced his retirement. The Wings then played two consecutive seasons without a captain… and Yzerman took the helm of the team between those two seasons.

Larkin was named team captain ahead of the 2020–21 season, a little over a year after Yzerman's arrival. And if he's truly upset with his former GM for taking too long to name him captain, one has to wonder if he's wearing the C for the right reasons.

We know that Larkin, in March 2023, did agree to sign an eight-year contract with the Wings. But we've also seen that, subsequently, the relationship between the player and the team deteriorated—particularly when Larkin publicly criticized Yzerman for not being active enough at the 2024–25 trade deadline.

But apparently, tensions between the two had already begun to simmer a few years earlier… for a reason that doesn't exactly cast the center in a favorable light. It remains to be seen whether the new management will be able to convince Larkin to stay now.


In Brief

– Hi, Michael.

– Things are happening with the Blue Jays.

– Note to self.

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