Red Wings' Alex DeBrincat on Dylan Larkin Trade Demands: 'It Sucks'
Alex DeBrincat just wants to get back to playing hockey and away from all the off-ice distractions. The Detroit Red Wings scoring winger spoke to the media from Vegas on Tuesday, and opened up about his captain wanting out of Motown. You could tell DeBrincat was very disappointed that Dylan Larkin requested a trade, but it's obvious he understands it's a business, and he just wants what's best for his former captain, and friend.
“It sucks. Doesn’t really change what we think of him,” DeBrincat said Tuesday. “He’s still a great player. He’s been a great friend and a great teammate to me, and we obviously love him here. That’s kind of for him to answer, what’s next for him. But for us, I think it’s all the same. We’re happy to see him at the rink and happy to get started.”
“It’s like anything, you don’t really like change, it feels uncomfortable for a bit,” DeBrincat said. “But at this time, we’re all just excited to get back. Obviously we want Simon there, but I think he is still going to be in Detroit, maybe come hang out with the guys, I’m not really sure what his plan is, you guys would have to ask him. Overall, I think we’re just excited to get back and play hockey again. That’s where we can get away from everything. I think all the guys are excited to get back as a team and see each other again and just play."
The Red Wings are currently without a general manager, their captain wants out, and one of their best defenceman remains an unsigned restricted free agent. Add in the fact Patrick Kane signed in Chicago, Larkin wants out, and DeBrincat has just one year left on his deal, and frankly, the Red Wings could currently be the messiest team in the league. There two big moves this summer were signing Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar, so can you really blame Larkin for wanting out, even if Steve Yzerman is no longer running the show?
For now, Larkin remains on the sidelines, and even though some in the organization are hopeful he'll come back and push aside his trade demands, that's very likely not going to happen. Larkin prefers to play in Minnesota, Vegas, Florida or Dallas, but given how long this trade is taking to materialize, it's very likely Larkin opens up to a few more teams.
Regardless of is Larkin is his teammate or not, DeBrincat's been around the block, he's laser focused on hockey, and all he wants to do is win. “Winning is very important to me, and I think we’re a lot closer than people are giving us credit for,” he said. “And for being in Detroit, I’ve said it all along, I love it here, and ultimately that’s where I want to end up. But there’s a lot of things that go into that. So we’ll see what happens when a new GM comes in. But overall, I love the guys, I love the team, love playing for the Red Wings. That’s something that we all take tremendous pride in, putting that jersey on every night and the history that goes into it.”