Get Over It: Red Wings Yzerman, Larkin Aren’t Feuding

People seem anxious to want to turn the situation involving Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and captain Dylan Larkin into much more than it truly is.

Clicks, you know.

Well, we’re here to tell you you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.

Was Larkin upset by the team not doing anything major at the NHL trade deadline? Was Yzerman upset that Larkin took his issue public?

Yes and yes.

During his exit interview media session, Dylan Larkin said it would have been nice for Detroit to be more active at the trade deadline “for a morale boost.”

Yesterday, Steve Yzerman said he expects Detroit’s best players and leaders to provide that morale boost. pic.twitter.com/I6CV7gcueJ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 30, 2025

Did the fallout from this episode permanently fracture the relationship between the two men?

Absolutely not.

This isn’t JT Miller vs Elias Pettersson. No one is going to be leaving town over this matter.

Red Wings Yzerman Likes To Keep Tight Ship

Yzerman’s main issue is that Larkin aired his feelings out for all to hear and see. Anyone who’s spent anytime around Yzerman, both as a player and in management, understands that’s not how he operates. Under his rule, you keep everything under wraps. Grievances, concerns, misunderstandings are dealt with internally.

Certainly, that was likely the gist of the conversation Yzerman had with Larkin following his public critique of Detroit’s trade deadline inaction. Yzerman clearly wasn’t himself at his end of season presser. He seemed even a little bit rattled that the cloak of secrecy in which he runs his club had been infiltrated.

Steve Yzerman had a message for Red Wings fans:

"I'm very appreciative of their support, and very understanding of the demand and the want for success here." pic.twitter.com/qVxwhTOreS

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) May 1, 2025

As for Larkin’s side of the issue, his feelings are entirely understandable. He’s the only one who’s been on board for every step of this Red Wings rebuild, all nine years of playoff absences.

That’s a lot of frustration to be percolating inside of one man. Eventually, something was going to blow and go off.

Another factor playing a role here is that the dynamic of the team has changed since the arrival of Todd McLellan as coach. McLellan commands a room. He demands accountability. And if need be, he’s fine with calling someone out – including himself – in a public forum. He did so this season with both Justin Holl and Larkin.

If you remember, Larkin was fine with his coach’s criticism.

No One Is Going Anywhere

These are all big boys here. Recall back to Larkin’s contract negotiations with the Wings of two years ago. It was long, drawn out and appeared from the outside to be contentious. In reality, as we were finding out after the deal was done, Yzerman and Larkin were holding many conversations about the path of the franchise during the contract talks, some even at Yzerman’s home.

The GM still keeps the captain in the loop about the direction of the team. Yzerman and Larkin talk frequently. Both are vital cogs in the future direction of this team. And while they aren’t moving along that path at the speed most would prefer to see, the fact of the matter is that this team is growing and improving.

Larkin approaches things from a player’s viewpoint. He just wants to make the playoffs. His unhappiness in the moment is understandable.

Yzerman thinks like a GM. His objective is to try and win today but not at the expense of contending tomorrow. He wasn’t going to make a trade for short-term gain that would ultimately bring more long-term pain.

He’s not building the Red Wings to be a team that’s squeaking into the playoffs, getting bounced in the first round and maybe isn’t even making it back the following spring. The GM is working to assemble a squad that will be legitimately contending for the Cup  each spring.

This isn’t a soap opera, or reality TV. There’s no Larkin-Yzeman feud, no matter how hard social media is working to try and manufacture one.

The Red Wings won’t be trading Larkin. They won’t be firing Yzerman.

Both will move on from this episode and the Red Wings organization will be just fine.