Dylan Larkin's Red Wings Era Ends With a Healthy Scratch Pending Trade

The Dylan Larkin era in Detroit is officially ending not with a dramatic final lap, but with a healthy scratch.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings captain will not play another game for the franchise until a trade is finalized. Detroit is expected to release an official statement, but the writing is already on the wall. The face of Hockeytown is packing his bags.

"Elliotte Friedman reported Larkin will not play another game for the Red Wings until a trade is finalized."

Holding a guy out for trade-related reasons is the NHL's version of putting bubble wrap on a sports car before you sell it. You do not want a stray puck to the ankle tanking the return package. Larkin is perfectly healthy, but he is officially too valuable as a trade chip to risk putting on the ice.

The timing is wild considering Detroit just wrapped up a Western Canada road trip where they beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 and handled the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Now, anyone holding a ticket for the Red Wings' upcoming home stand has to factor in a massive hole in the top six.

Larkin has been the anchor for this franchise through some incredibly lean years. Trading your captain mid-season is the kind of move that completely rewires a locker room. It also turns the NHL trade market upside down, as every contender with cap space is suddenly checking their couch cushions for draft picks.

Detroit hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on October 29, and the vibe at Little Caesars Arena is going to be weird. The Red Wings are about to look very different, and the rest of the league is officially on high alert waiting for the other shoe to drop.