Dylan Larkin sends a message to Steve Yzerman: he didn’t like his GM’s inaction in March

Published on: April 21, 2025

Last March, Kent Hughes stayed put at the trade deadline.

That went down well in Montreal, since it meant veterans weren’t traded. Thanks to Jake Evans, who signed a contract extension, by the way.

Seeing Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov come to town was also a game-changer, but in March, there were no reinforcements. The club wasn’t there yet, and that’s fine.

But staying put isn’t always a good thing.

For clubs that are theoretically more advanced in their rebuilding process, such inaction can be perceived as a disavowal of the group already in place.

And that brings us to the Red Wings.

In Detroit, the club was inactive at the deadline, and Dylan Larkin (the club’s captain, after all) used his end-of-season press conference to send his message to Steve Yzerman, the club’s CEO.

Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings were not too thrilled with how Steve Yzerman played the trade deadline this year
pic.twitter.com/DwBSpgIzAa

– Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 21, 2025

Obviously, as captain, he often speaks on behalf of the group.

And to see him say, following another season where the club wasn’t able to get back into the playoffs, that he wasn’t happy to see his boss’s inaction at the deadline… let’s just say it sends a big message.

Yzerman’s magic as a player in Detroit or as GM in Tampa Bay doesn’t seem to translate to his role as GM of the Red Wings. The Yzerplan isn’t working too well and the club isn’t really progressing.

What’s it going to take over there? Who knows.

in brief

– The Stars player is making progress.

Miro Heiskanen is on the ice for Stars morning skate. We’ll get an update from head coach Peter DeBoer after the skate to see where that’s at.

– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 21, 2025

– No surprises here.

Goaltender Connor Hughes will return to Lausanne next season after a season with the Habs, Swiss newspaper Le Matin reports today.https://t.co/Bubn8Fhdb6

– Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) April 21, 2025

– Read more.