Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin disappointed that team didn’t do more at NHL Trade Deadline

With another long offseason underway, the Detroit Red Wings’ on-ice leader is voicing his frustrations to how things played out in 2024-25.

During the team’s locker-clean-out day on Saturday, captain Dylan Larkin was asked about his thoughts about the Red Wings missing the playoffs once again. The Michigan native admitted that the team gained very little momentum following the NHL Trade Deadline.

“I think, especially in March, it was hard that we didn’t do anything,” Larkin said during the press conference. “I felt the group… we didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline. Guys were kind of down about it. So it would have bee nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well.”

While Larkin didn’t cite any names, it seemed to be an obvious shot at general manager Steve Yzerman. The Hockey Hall of Famer as been at the helm since April 2019. However, the Red Wings have missed the playoffs nine years in a row, an unfortunate franchise record. The only notable move Detroit made at the deadline was acquiring goaltender Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks, a trade that did little to ignite the team’s dwindling postseason hopes.

Detroit ended up going 9-9-2 after the March 7 deadline, finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division and missing the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference by five points.

For Larkin, another season ending before the playoffs is the norm. In his 10 years with the team, he’s only been to the postseason once, that coming in his rookie season in 2015-16. The 28-year-old just finished the second season of his eight-year contract extension that he signed in March 2023. The deal has a full no-trade clause through the 2027-28 campaign, with a modified no-trade clause for the final three years of the contract.

Larkin has played in 734 games for the Wings, scoring 242 goals and 334 assists for 576 points.