Despite the impasse, it appears Larkin is holding firm on which teams he would like to go to.
St. James added that “no offers from those teams have intrigued” the Red Wings.
Larkin, who is signed for five more years with an $8.7 million AAV, has a full no-movement clause. The 30-year-old has played 11 seasons with the Red Wings, reaching the playoffs only once in his rookie year.
Larkin’s three preferred teams have been busy this off-season. The Panthers landed Brady Tkachuk in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators, while the Wild acquired centre Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames. The Golden Knights traded scoring winger Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers but remain tight against the salary cap ceiling after signing defenceman Rasmus Andersson to a long-term deal with an $8.5-million AAV.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is said to be looking for players who can help his roster now, not draft picks and prospects who are years away from reaching the NHL.
Therefore, as the summer drags on, the possibility of Larkin returning to Detroit for a 12th season increases.
“Dylan has five years remaining on his contract,” Yzerman said after the draft. “My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that. I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met.”