Detroit Red Wings, Dylan Larkin get lesson in how to reconcile

If Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings want to reconcile, another NHL team and its star just showed how it’s done.

In a remarkable turn of events after a turbulent 24-hour period wherein the player seemed close to being traded, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell and star defenseman Zach Werenski released dual statements in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 1. They essentially boil down to Werenski, the Michigan hockey product, stating he wants to stay with the Blue Jackets, the team that drafted him in 2015 and has been the only one he’s known in his NHL career.

Meanwhile in Detroit, more than two months have passsed since Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, informed general manager Steve Yzerman shortly after the season ended (on April 15) that Larkin wants to be traded. Larkin, who has five years left on a contract with an $8.7 million yearl salary cap hit, has a no-trade clause, and to that end submitted a list of where he wants to go: The Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Wings haven’t received any offers they consider worthy of moving their top-line center and captain, who they drafted at No. 15 in 2014.

Where Detroit Red Wings, Dylan Larkin stand entering NHL free agency

The Wings are not obligated to trade Larkin and are determined to only do so for players who can contribute at the NHL level now. If a trade does not happen, Larkin will have to decide either to report to camp, or sit out (in which case he would be in violation of his contract). If he reports, the expectation would be that he turn in his captaincy.

Another possibility is to pave a path to reconciliation, as Waddell and Werenski (a Grosse Pointe native and a close friend of Larkin’s) just demonstrated.

Here are the statements posted on the Blue Jackets’ social media accounts in full.

Waddell: “Earlier this spring, Zach and I met and talked about his future with the Blue Jackets beyond his current contract and he indicated that he wasn’t sure what the future would hold with regards to staying with the club or possibly moving on. During those discussions, we talked about me exploring opportunities to move him now and we all agreed if there was a deal to be made that I would bring it to him.

“We found something that would work for the club and took it to him. After some time and discussions with his family, Zach informed us that he didn’t want to leave Columbus. He has invested a great deal in this organization and after coming close and falling short the past two seasons, his desire is to win here and get this team back into the playoffs. … Zach has been a very important part of this organization and our community for a long time, and wecouldn’t be happier that he will continue to be moving forward.”

Werenski, who had earlier told the organization he would not extend his contract when it is up in two years: “Don and I have had very open and honest dialogue since the season ended. Ideally, this wouldn’t have become such a public thing but that is the world we live in now and everything got blown out of proportion in my opinion. I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus. As l’ve thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus. It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket. We have the best fans in the NHL. … I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to get us back in the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Don and I are completely aligned on that.”

Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. 

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Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings, Dylan Larkin get lesson in how to reconcile