The hockey world is still reeling from Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck’s public desires to leave their teams, and frankly, it looks like everyone involved is taking a hit. These aren’t quiet rumors, these are full-blown “get me out of here” shots heard ’round the NHL from two of the league’s big names. As stories fill up about where they might land, one thing is clear: there are no winners here.
Fans Are Getting Absolutely Crushed
Pity the fans in Detroit and Winnipeg. While the Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs in ten years, haven’t won a series since 2013, and haven’t been truly relevant since losing the Stanley Cup Final in 2009, things are even worse for the Jets faithful. Winnipeg has never won a title, missed the playoffs entirely last spring, and turned a Presidents’ Trophy into a second-round loss in 2025. Larkin was the Red Wings’ captain from 2021 until this week, racking up 276 goals and 643 points in 808 games since his 2015 debut. Hellebuyck is equally entrenched, with 345 wins across 11 seasons, three Vezina trophies, an MVP, and four All-Star nods. Imagine watching your homegrown stars, the heart and soul of your team, come back to play against you as an opponent. It’s just brutal.
These Stars Might Pay a Reputation Price
Sure, Larkin and Hellebuyck will probably get what they want and land in new cities. They won’t be scrambling for rent money. But the way these divorces from their teams have gone down, prolonged and messy and completely public, it’s not going to help their reputations. Ask a casual NHL fan about them these days, and there’s a good chance the answer will be, “Oh, those are the guys who are going to get traded.” Larkin giving up his captaincy status with the Red Wings is a huge moment, and it feels like that perception scar might be permanent. All this public drama isn’t just external, it gets into their heads too.
Front Offices Are Over a Bargaining Barrel
Think about how much better this could have been. If Larkin and Hellebuyck hadn’t grown disenchanted, both the Red Wings and Jets were set up for several more years with their arguably best players. Instead, because both players went public with their trade requests, every other team in the league knows Detroit and Winnipeg are desperate. Neither front office is going to get fair value for players of this caliber. That means the competitive oblivion that fueled these requests in the first place, among other factors, isn’t likely to change much given the probable returns. It’s a tough spot, and they brought it on themselves.
This drama isn’t going away anytime soon. Until Larkin and Hellebuyck are officially moved, expect the noise to keep growing. Everyone will be watching to see where they land and what their former teams actually manage to get back. It’s a high-stakes poker game, and right now, nobody’s showing a winning hand.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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