Erik Johnson goes off on Dylan Larkin & other NHLers for requesting trades

Johnson, a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and now an ESPN analyst, took aim at Dylan Larkin and others who have pushed for trades in recent months. His frustration centered on one thing: leaving before the work is done.

Larkin is the headline name. The Red Wings center asked out in June, was stripped of the captaincy on Sept. 11 and has since been suspended without pay. He signed his extension three seasons ago, a deal that runs through 2031.

He is far from alone. Connor Hellebuyck pushed his way out of Winnipeg and now plays for the Devils, Brady Tkachuk also had his request honored, and Nikita Kucherov became the latest star to ask out when Elliotte Friedman reported his request on Oct. 30.

Kucherov's case is different on paper, since he is in the final year of his contract and the Lightning say he is theirs through June 30. He has kept producing since the news broke.

Johnson's comment speaks to a growing divide between players who treat contracts as flexible and those who view them as commitments.

The debate has played out all fall, especially in Detroit, where Larkin's standoff with the Red Wings has dragged on for five months without a deal.

Larkin has told Detroit he will not play for the club again, and he has submitted a limited list of teams he would accept a trade to. The Red Wings have asked him to widen it, but he has refused so far.

Johnson's words add a veteran voice to the loyalty debate as the Red Wings search for a fair return. With Kucherov's situation still unfolding in Tampa Bay, the league's wave of trade requests shows no sign of slowing down this season.

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