The Detroit Red Wings are 3-1-2 to begin the 2022-23 season. While much of the discussions surrounding the team pertain to their strong start, plenty of other discussions are going on regarding the future of the team, especially in regards to the status of captain Dylan Larkin’s contract negotiations. In this news and rumors update, we’re going to check in on where things stand with Larkin, as well as other developing stories throughout “Hockeytown”.
Larkin Seeking Barzal Contract
According to Pierre LeBrun, reporting on TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Larkin is seeking a contract similar to the one the New York Islanders recently signed with their top center, Mathew Barzal. Barzal’s deal is an eight-year pact worth $73.2 million ($9.15 million cap-hit) and carries a modified no-trade clause in all but the first year of the deal.
When comparing the two, it’s important to note that Barzal is one year younger than Larkin. The 2018 Calder Trophy winner has 317 points through 368 regular season games (.86 points per-game, or PPG), while Larkin has 366 points through 510 regular season games (.72 PPG). Larkin is the captain of the Red Wings while Barzal has never worn a letter for his team.
Barzal is a top-line center, but he isn’t considered to be among the “elite” top centers of the NHL. Neither is Larkin, and that’s probably why Barzal’s contract is the example being brought to the table. Based on his role as captain, it could be argued that Larkin is more important to the Red Wings than Barzal is to the Islanders. The numbers don’t lie though: Barzal has generally outperformed Larkin since he arrived in the NHL a season after Larkin did.
Related: Projecting Dylan Larkin’s New Red Wings Contract
On the ESPN broadcast of the Red Wings’ game versus the Anaheim Ducks, Kevin Weekes mentioned that he expects Larkin’s contract to come in “between eight and 10 million.” Based on the facts laid out here, expect his contract to come in between $8.5 and $9 million.
Bertuzzi Talks Non-Existent
Just a quick one here: according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, talks with Tyler Bertuzzi, another Red Wings pending free agent, have not even begun.
Bertuzzi’s contract negotiation history has been a bit rocky since Steve Yzerman took over as general manager. In October of 2020, the two parties went to arbitration where the winger was awarded a one-year $3.5 million contract. The following year, the two parties negotiated the two-year deal Bertuzzi is in the final year of.
To this point, both parties have said all the right things about coming to an agreement on a new deal, but none of that talk has resulted in negotiations to this point.
Red Wings Alternating Alternate Captains
With Larkin entrenched as the team’s captain, the Red Wings have taken an unconventional approach to handling the “A’s” on their team this season. Instead of naming two or three steady alternate captains like they have in years past, five different players have worn an ‘A’ at least once this season:
- Ben Chiarot
- David Perron
- Andrew Copp
- Moritz Seider
- Michael Rasmussen
Out of those five, perhaps the most surprising is Rasmussen. Of that group, only Perron has worn a letter in previous seasons (Perron wore an ‘A’ as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights during their inaugural season.) Head coach Derek Lalonde mentioned before the start of the season that the team would rotate the alternate captains, so there’s a chance that we may see one or two other players wearing a letter before the season’s end.
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Red Wings Release Schedule for Reverse Retro 2.0 Jersey
The Red Wings’ polarizing second Reverse Retro jersey will be worn six times this season, with the first appearance coming on Nov. 28 when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The jersey officially goes on sale on Nov. 15.
ICYMI:
I am a Western Michigan University alum whose passion for hockey knows no limits. Dr. Pepper enthusiast. Catch me and my fellow Red Wings writers’ YouTube show “The Hockey Writers Grind Line” which drops every Saturday.