Dylan Larkin was nowhere to be found on the Detroit Red Wings’ perfectly ordinary NHL 27 promotional graphic dropped on Friday, and for a guy with an 89 overall rating, that’s not just some accidental oversight. The graphic was supposed to hype up Detroit’s top talent for the new game, featuring Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Alex DeBrincat, all rocking an 89 overall rating, plus goalie John Gibson at an 85. But the actual captain of the team, who’s also rated 89 overall by EA Sports and is tied as one of their highest-rated players, just vanished from the picture. What gives?
The Captain’s Curious Absence is Hard to Ignore
Normally, we’re not losing sleep over who makes it into a video game graphic. It’s usually small potatoes. But this isn’t a normal situation for Larkin. EA’s official ratings literally list Raymond, Seider, and Larkin as the Red Wings’ top three overall players. So, leaving out your captain, your No. 1 center, who’s also tied for the highest rating among all Detroit forwards, while including an 85-rated goalie? Yeah, that’s going to get noticed. The Hockey News already pointed out earlier this week that Larkin, Raymond, and DeBrincat all received identical 89 ratings, making his omission from this “top players” post even more glaring.
That Trade Request Still Looms Large
Look, we gotta pump the brakes a little before we go full conspiracy theory on one social media post. Nobody’s saying Chris Ilitch or the Red Wings front office ordered Larkin scrubbed from existence. The folks running a team’s social accounts aren’t the ones making trade deals, and this graphic isn’t concrete proof the relationship is totally blown. But context matters, big time. Larkin’s trade request is still in place, even after Steve Yzerman left the GM gig, and Detroit still hasn’t managed to find a deal for their captain. With training camp right around the corner, there’s a very real possibility Larkin starts the season still wearing the Winged Wheel. That lingering situation makes Friday’s little graphic omission feel way more significant than it should. Sports Illustrated’s Red Wings coverage also raised an eyebrow at the post, acknowledging it’s not a hockey ops decision, but still finding it curious.
So, what’s next? The real test of where things stand will come when Detroit rolls out its actual 2026-27 marketing campaign. If Larkin keeps disappearing from major team materials like season-ticket promotions and big advertising pushes, then we’ve got a clear pattern forming. For now, it’s just one social media post, but it’s one post involving a captain who literally asked to leave. You gotta wonder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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