Red Wings will "wait as long as necessary" to get fair return for suspended Dylan Larkin

Before the Red Wings reported to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday for their morning skate, interim GM Shawn Horcoff got a call from Dylan Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson. Larkin's stance was that "he wasn’t coming to the rink, it was too much for him, and he no longer wanted to be on the team," said Horcoff.

The Red Wings' response was to suspend him without pay.

With his unmet trade request lingering over the organization, Larkin has decided to remove himself from action. The expectation is that he won't play again until he's on a new team, but who knows how long this could last. Horcoff said Thursday that trade talks are "ongoing" and that he's "worked extensively, exhaustively" with Larkin's agency "to find a solution for Dylan" since taking control of hockey operations in the summer following the removal of former GM Steve Yzerman.

Per reports, Larkin recently expanded his trade list from three teams to 10.

"We’ve talked to the teams on Dylan’s list, we’ve talked to other teams and taken calls from other teams around the league that have expressed interest in Dylan, and we just continue to try to find a solution that fits for both sides," said Horcoff. "We have to be sensitive to Dylan and his situation and understand what he wants in this relationship, but at the same time, (honor) our responsibility to our players, the 22 other guys in the locker room, the coaching staff, management, the fans, to also do what’s right for the organization."

In other words, the Red Wings won't be trading Larkin just to make this go away. They won't accept a lesser return for the sake of a resolution. Larkin, who has an $8 million salary this season, will forfeit about $41,000 per day as long as he's suspended.

"In terms of sitting out, I can’t put a timeline on it," said Horcoff. "One thing I will say is, with the teams that Dylan has on his list, it’s difficult to get something done. In a trade like this, there are significant challenges when you’re trying to put a salary like Dylan's onto a team, and trying to find the right pieces to give in return, so it’s difficult. How long it takes I’m not sure, but I am prepared to wait as long as necessary to make sure the return that we get is something that is good for the Red Wings overall."

The question now is what, exactly, Horcoff is looking for. He said at his introductory press conference last month that "a rebuild, to me, is out of the question," which would indicate he's seeking proven NHL players in exchange for the Red Wings' No. 1 center, who's signed for five more seasons with an $8.7 million cap it.

That will be a hard needle to thread when all the teams on Larkin's list consider themselves contenders. For the Red Wings, future assets in the form of pick and prospects might yield a better overall return, but wouldn't boost the team now.

"I think the goal is to get players that can help us right away," said Horcoff. "But at the same time, the vision and the ultimate goal is the long-term success of the organization. I’m open to all different kinds of deals and really, we’re just trying to find something that is a fair return for someone of Dylan’s caliber. He’s a heck of a player, on a good contract.

"And it’s important for us. Dylan signed a long-term contract with the Detroit Red Wings, and we in turn showed a commitment to him. When that happens, he becomes a major part of your long-term plans. And when you remove someone like that, he becomes difficult to replace. So I think it’s important for me to be open to all areas, whether it’s prospects and picks and players. But I am doing my best to try to help this group that we have here now in the immediate future if we can."

When the season began, Horcoff thought that a reconciliation between Larkin and the Red Wings might be possible. He hoped that rejoining his teammates on the ice might soften Larkin's stance. But Larkin's body language has made it painfully clear that he wants out. He has looked distant and, at times, disengaged. Horcoff said he could sense something shift on the Red Wings' recent road trip.

When Larkin scored a game-tying goal late in the third in an eventual shootout win over the Oilers on Monday -- the best two points of the season for the Red Wings -- he could barely bring himself to celebrate. It looked like the goal meant nothing to him.

"My initial plan was to try to fix it," said Horcoff. "I wanted to try to do what I could to keep Dylan here in a Red Wings jersey, and clearly I was unsuccessful doing that. When that phone call came today, the last couple days on the road trip I could sense that things were a little off with him, and he was growing maybe a little more frustrated. But it was a bit of a surprise for me this morning."

Now that the situation has come to a head, it's Horcoff's hope that it will soon come to an end. The longer Larkin sits out, the more he might consider expanding his trade list further.

"I don’t think anyone wants to be in this situation. I’d like to solve it for Dylan as well," Horcoff said. We’re in the same spot, in that we want to come to a resolution and move on. In terms of expanding his trade list, I certainly do get calls from other teams in the league that have interest in Dylan, strong interest, and there probably are certain teams in the league that if they were on his list it would be easier for us to come to a deal and come to an agreement.

"But unfortunately at this point, we’re not there yet."