Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McClellan said he had sympathy for Dylan Larkin after the former captain was met with vitriol from his home crowd during Friday night’s season-opening loss to the New York Rangers. Larkin, who was stripped of his captaincy after requesting a trade this offseason and placed on IR before Friday’s puck drop, received a chorus of boos when he was introduced alongside his eliminated teammates at Little Caesars Arena. McLellan rejected After the game against TNT studio analyst Paul Bissonnette, concluding the broadcast, the Wings were trying to embarrass Larkin with the announcement. “Dylan, today, being part of the team, I wanted to be there for the ceremony…Dylan’s explanation was, ‘I don’t want the rest of my teammates, the ones who aren’t dressed, to not be there,'” McLellan said after the Red Wings’ 2-0 loss. “So we went out as a team.” McLellan continued, “Obviously, he has to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade. It’s not comfortable for anyone. I feel bad for him, I do.” Larkin’s trade request wasn’t the only point of contention from Red Wings fans, who were already leading chants against the team’s owners while trailing by a goal early in Friday’s loss. The Red Wings have yet to name a permanent replacement for former general manager Steve Yzerman, who was fired in the wake of Larkin’s trade request and whose departure has been followed by notable roster issues in Detroit. These include allowing Patrick Kane to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks in free agency despite past negotiations with Yzerman, missing the deadline to extend winger Alex DeBrincat’s expiring contract by eight years and seeing restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson leave for Sweden after starting the season out of contract. “Everyone has the right to express their feelings, and we just have to deal with it,” Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider said after the game (h/t Alex Crescenti of WXYZ Detroit). “I thought we handled it pretty well.” Larkin, who is signed through the 2030-31 season with a full no-trade clause through the 2027-28 campaign, has reportedly given the Red Wings a limited list of teams he would be willing to accept a trade to. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press initially reported that the list included the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday that Larkin has expanded his roster contract to “about eight” teams, including the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit fans will hope that interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, or whoever the team eventually selects as Yzerman’s permanent replacement, can resolve the standoff with Larkin or find an acceptable deal that allows the Red Wings to replace their top-line center despite their current lack of negotiating leverage.
