Dylan Larkin in Detroit for a long time

The Detroit Red Wings have granted a contract extension to captain Dylan Larkin, who will average $8.7 million per campaign over the next eight years.

According to the ESPN network, a total of $69.6 million will therefore be awarded to the 26-year-old hockey player. He was eligible for unrestricted free agent status in 2023, but the Wings wanted to do everything to get him signed by the deadline. The forward will complete a five-year, $30.5 million pact before starting the next one.

Larkin has 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 59 games during the current regular season. Wearing the letter “C” on his jersey since 2021, he has amassed 415 points in 563 career games.

Upcoming departures?

The veteran’s offensive production hasn’t been enough for the Wings so far, however, as they risk missing the playoffs for the seventh straight time. And their place in the standings might encourage general manager Steve Yzerman to part with a few elements. The TSN channel has thus evoked the potential departure of attackers Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana and Filip Zadina by Friday, the deadline for transactions in the National Hockey League.

The first will benefit from its complete autonomy next summer, while the second will do so in 2024. The last will have an impact of $1.825 million on the payroll of its training until the end of 2024-2025.

Bertuzzi has been plagued by broken hands in both hands this season. He has 14 points in 29 games. For his part, Vrana followed the assistance program for players of the Bettman circuit. He has played five games in 2022-23 so far. Finally, Zadina is slow to hatch, he who was the sixth pick of the 2018 draft. He has accumulated 65 points in 179 career games.

Following two bitter 6-2 and 6-1 losses at the hands of the Ottawa Senators on Monday and Tuesday, Detroit fell to 12th place in the Eastern Conference.