Red Wings waste no time putting Dylan Larkin behind them with latest move!

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, and amid celebrations and finally practice on Friday, everyone quickly noticed Dylan Larkin’s nameplate was gone from the dressing room.

In its place sat Sheldon Dries, the forward recalled from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions earlier. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Dries was occupying the stall formerly belonging to the franchise's most prolific goal scorer of the past half-decade.

Ansar Khan of MLive confirmed the move, reporting that the Red Wings removed Larkin's nameplate as expected and that both players and head coach Todd McLellan indicated they are ready to move forward.

The visual shift in the locker room came after interim general manager Shawn Horcoff announced that Larkin had been suspended without pay. Horcoff said the organization received a call from Larkin's agent stating that the 30-year-old center would no longer report to the rink and no longer wanted to be part of the Red Wings.

"We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates," Horcoff said in a statement.

Larkin had requested a trade during the offseason, a situation that became public knowledge and led to the team stripping him of the captaincy back in September. Detroit opened the 2026-27 season without a captain. Larkin was booed during introductions at the home opener, briefly won fans back with a strong performance against Ottawa, but ultimately played just 10 games before the situation reached its breaking point.

Horcoff acknowledged that emotions in the locker room were "pretty raw" but praised the group for how they handled the saga. He noted that players, coaches, and management had all welcomed Larkin back despite his trade request, making his refusal to continue playing all the more difficult to absorb.

Larkin still has five years remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract. Horcoff said any trade would need Larkin's approval and must serve the organization's long-term interests, adding that he is open to various types of deals to secure a fair return for a player of Larkin's calibre.

Dries' recall coincided with the assignment of goaltender Michal Postava to Grand Rapids, a move that drew its own share of fan frustration given Postava's recent strong play.

The Red Wings currently sit at 6-4-3, seventh in the Atlantic Division, still chasing their first playoff berth since 2016. The dressing room, at least, appears ready to turn the page.