A few days ago, the hockey world turned upside down when it was reported from well-respected hockey insiders that Detroit Red Wings' captain Dylan Larkin requested to be traded. This morning, it was revealed that his trade list included three teams: the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers. After all, Larkin controls his destiny, being that he owns a full no-trade clause in his contract for this and next season.
While the initial reaction to Larkin's trade request was hypothetical trade packages and destinations, what set in after a while was the possibility that there is now an influx of star players pining to be moved from their organizations to compete for a Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings have been mired in mediocrity for a decade, making the playoffs only once in Larkin's career. They're on a ten-year drought now, the longest current streak in the NHL, despite many expecting the "Yzerplan" to pan out at some point. After all, they've stockpiled a good chunk of high-end pieces over the years -- one would think that Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and two of the best goalie prospects in the league should be a strong enough pillar of core pieces to build a competent team around. Alas, they never quite figured out how to get over the hump despite big-swing trades for John Gibson, Alex DeBrincat, and Justin Faulk and a number of free-agent grabs.
The result is their longtime captain becoming so frustrated with the organization that he wants out. The Devils would be wise to take note in relation to their own core pieces.
After all, the lack of success since Jack Hughes was drafted back in 2019 has been somewhat jarring. New Jersey has made the playoffs just twice since then, a second-round exit in 2022-23 and a first-round rout in 2024-25. Sure, the pre-season speculation in both 2023-24 and 2025-26 was that of a high-end, potentially contending team, but neither season resulted in even a playoff berth.
Dylan Larkin's request for a trade could be a sign of things to come
As such, worrying about the future of the core players is a legitimate concern if the Devils can't figure out how to be perennially competitive. The blueprint is there, with four forwards rivaling some of the best up-front cores in the NHL, a supporting cast featuring some impact players in their mid-20s (Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer, Arseny Gritsyuk), a mostly competent defense corps featuring a top-pair offensive defenseman and an up-and-coming dynamo, and goaltending that is no longer a real issue and seemingly has some long-term solutions on the horizon.
They have to actually capitalize on having the foundation, though. Another top-six add is a must. A revamp to the fourth line is a must. A retool on the back-end to include more puck-moving capability is a must. Consistency and health are a must.
Most of those fixes are easy enough. Find cheap, ready-to-play fourth-line players who can win their minutes. Supplant a defensive defenseman with one who can transition the puck into the offensive zone. Finding a top-six player is difficult, but not necessarily impossible.
Veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon has already said there was some friction in the locker room, a likely result of lackluster results given the season's expectations. Dylan Larkin's frustration and request to leave the organization should be a wake-up call that even the organization's most important players get so fed up they want to leave, and one the Devils should not take lightly, considering what has already transpired.
Thankfully, the new regime seems competent enough -- they're calculated, savvy, and presumably able to think ahead. Those qualities are a must if the Devils are keen on keeping their stellar core intact, which is something of paramount importance if the end goal is bringing a Stanley Cup to New Jersey.
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