Detroit is entering a tense offseason after Dylan Larkin requested a trade and league chatter began to pull Alex DeBrincat into the mix, with multiple contenders checking in as the Red Wings brace for another potential rebuild.
For the Detroit Red Wings, it’s been ten straight seasons without playoff hockey. Now, the fracture lines are starting to show in public—and it centers on the captain.
Dylan Larkin has requested a trade. and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that he isn’t the only forward from Detroit generating attention around the league. Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat has drawn some trade interest too. with clubs asking about the possibility of Detroit exploring a deal.
“Detroit Red Wings navigate trade talks with teams about captain Dylan Larkin, some clubs are also inquiring about the potential availability of sniper Alex DeBrincat,” Pagnotta reported.
It’s still not clear how far Detroit will go. “It is unclear if the Red Wings have an appetite to explore a trade involving DeBrincat, at this stage.”
DeBrincat’s timing is what makes the question hard to ignore. He is entering the final year of his contract, worth $7.875 million for the 2026-27 campaign. Last season, he led Detroit with 41 goals and 85 points, and he will turn 29 during next season.
If Detroit ends up trading Larkin, the pathway described for the organization is another rebuild under GM Steve Yzerman. That’s also where a DeBrincat deal could fit—because if the Red Wings are shifting toward the future, both moves are seen as ways to bring future assets back to Detroit.
Pagnotta laid out which teams are calling. “The Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken and Buffalo Sabres are some of the teams exploring the market for a top-line, scoring winger and could have interest in DeBrincat.”
There’s extra heat around that list because Detroit isn’t the only team pursuing elite wingers. The Kraken and the St Louis Blues tried to trade for Jason Robertson. but the Dallas Stars winger did not want to go to either place. That left a door open for teams looking for a scorer of their own—and it raises the question of whether DeBrincat becomes a more realistic target.
Other details make the chatter more personal for fans in Chicago, too. The Blackhawks already traded their first-round pick in the upcoming draft, which could make a DeBrincat reunion harder. Still, DeBrincat started his NHL career with five seasons in Chicago.
All of it lands back on the central fear in Hockeytown: if the Red Wings trade both DeBrincat and Larkin, they’ll be marching toward an 11th season without playoff hockey.
The names and numbers are what drive the trade market. But the context is what makes this moment feel different. The Red Wings have been stuck outside the postseason for a decade. and now the conversation isn’t just about players getting moved—it’s about whether Detroit can break the cycle without dismantling the last familiar pieces of its identity.
Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin Alex DeBrincat David Pagnotta trade rumors Steve Yzerman NHL offseason Edmonton Oilers Chicago Blackhawks Toronto Maple Leafs New Jersey Devils Seattle Kraken Buffalo Sabres