Red Wings reach eight-year extension with captain Larkin

The Detroit Red Wings have reached an eight-year, $69.6 million contract extension with captain Dylan Larkin.

He will carry a cap hit of $8.7 million under the new deal, which begins next season.

Larkin has spent this season playing out the last of a five-year, $30.5 million contract signed with the Red Wings in 2018. That deal carried an average annual value of $6.1 million.

The 26-year-old centre has 22 goals and 57 points in 59 games this season, his eighth with the Red Wings.

Selected 15th overall by Detroit in the 2014 draft, Larkin has 169 goals and 415 points in 563 career games.

The Waterford, Mich., native was named captain of the Red Wings in 2021, taking a role had previously been unfilled since Henrik Zetterberg retired in 2018.
 

Red Wings ready to sell?

While Larkin appears to be staying put, the Red Wings are exoected to be sellers ahead of Friday's trade deadline.

The Red Wings suffered another key loss in the playoff race to the Ottawa Senators Tuesday and - amid a three-game skid - have slipped to five points back of the final wild-card spot which they held last week.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Red Wings are looking to trade pending UFA Tyler Bertuzzi and forward Jakub Vrana, while winger Filip Zadina could also potentially be traded before Friday's deadline.

"The Red Wings are just recognizing that the arms race in the East is just too rich," LeBrun said on Insider Trading. "So they can't allow Bertuzzi to walk in a free agency for nothing. So they're looking to move him they're looking to move [Jakub] Vrana. And they're also talking about the possibility of trading Filip Zadina who is a 23 years old with term, so some interesting things in Detroit."

Bertuzzi, 28, has four goals and 14 points while being limited to 29 games this season due to injury. He carries a $4.75 million cap hit. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported earlier this week that the Red Wings ask for the winger on the trade market was a first-round pick and more.

Vrana has one goal and two points in five games this season with the Red Wings. He spent time away from the team earlier this season in the NHL/NHLPA Players' Assistance Program. He also has six goals and 11 points at the AHL level with the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

The 27-year-old, who topped the 20-goal mark in back-to-back years with the Washington Capitals in 2019 and 2020, is signed through next season at a cap hit of $5.25 million.

Zadina, who was selected sixth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, has seen limited action this season due to injury. He has two goals and four points in 19 games this season with Detroit and posted a goal in two games with the AHL's Griffins.

Signed through the 2024-25 season at a cap hit of $1.825 million, Zadina has 27 goals and 65 points in 179 career games.