Larkin Requests Trade as NHL Offseason Heats Up

Sport

By lines

June 9, 2026

Comic-book illustration of stylized hockey coaching equipment for NHL offseason story

The NHL offseason erupted overnight. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin formally requested a trade from the only franchise Larkin has ever played for. The Los Angeles Kings hired Peter Laviolette on a three-year contract. ESPN reported the Edmonton Oilers were closing in on a deal to bring Mike Babcock back to the NHL bench.

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Larkin submitted a three-team trade list to Detroit management Monday, per The Washington Post. Larkin named the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights as preferred destinations. The Red Wings captain played a key defensive role for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Larkin’s gold-medal run raised Larkin’s trade market value across the league. Tensions between Larkin and Detroit leadership date back to contentious contract negotiations in 2023.

Laviolette arrives at the Kings seven NHL franchises into a 23-year head coaching career. Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. The Kings have earned five consecutive playoff appearances but exited in the first round each time. Laviolette was fired by the New York Rangers in April 2025. Babcock, 63, ranks 12th all-time in NHL coaching victories. Babcock won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.

Babcock resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 before coaching a single regular-season game. An NHLPA investigation found Babcock had asked to view personal photos on players’ cell phones. The findings drew widespread condemnation across the league. Edmonton first pursued Bruce Cassidy, the current Vegas Golden Knights coach. Vegas declined to release Cassidy from his existing contract. Edmonton’s core leadership group has been consulted on the Babcock hire and provided input, per ESPN.

Larkin’s trade request opens a rare blue-chip center market ahead of free agency. Detroit can reset its rebuild trajectory around the return package, with Florida, Minnesota, and Vegas each fielding playoff-caliber rosters. Laviolette brings aggressive offensive systems to a Kings franchise defined by five straight first-round exits. The Oilers must pick the right coach to protect Connor McDavid’s remaining prime years. The Babcock hire carries reputational risk that Edmonton’s players have already flagged to management.

Free agency opens shortly after the Stanley Cup Final ends, giving Detroit a narrow window on a Larkin deal. Each of Larkin’s three target teams carries cap room and draft capital for a trade package. The Oilers were eliminated by Anaheim in the first round this spring. The Stanley Cup Final continues on the ice, but the offseason market has already begun reshaping the league’s power structure.