Larkin Is Done in Detroit. Now What?

The Red Wings suspended Dylan Larkin without pay on Thursday after the team said he informed them he no longer wants to play for the franchise. He's been removed from the roster. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff is expected to address the situation, and trade talks are reportedly underway.

This one has been building. Larkin was stripped of his captaincy before training camp, missed the start of the season with an injury, and now it's arrived at a formal suspension. Whatever the relationship between player and organization looked like from the outside, it was clearly past repair on the inside.

Detroit called up Sheldon Dries from the AHL to help fill the offensive void against Chicago, with John Gibson back in net. That's a short-term patch on what is now a significant roster hole at center — Andrew Copp and Emmitt Finnie are next in line at the position, which tells you something about the depth situation.

The trade market will move fast once it becomes clear what Detroit needs in return. My read is the front office doesn't have a lot of leverage here — everyone knows they have to move him — but a motivated Larkin is a genuine top-line center, and there will be buyers. The next few days are going to be loud.