There may be uncertainty surrounding Dylan Larkin’s future with the Detroit Red Wings, but Simon Edvinsson does not sound concerned about what the situation could do to Detroit’s locker room.

In fact, Edvinsson believes it could have the opposite effect.

Speaking after Friday’s training camp practice, Edvinsson was asked whether Larkin’s unresolved trade request could become a distraction. His answer was immediate.

“I honestly don’t think it’s going to be a distraction,” Edvinsson said. “I think everybody is here to play hockey. Everybody is here to take care of their own business, and everybody has themselves to worry about.”

That alone would have been a strong show of support. Edvinsson went further, explaining that he believes Larkin’s effort could actually help pull the Red Wings closer together.

It was a meaningful message from one of Detroit’s most important young players at a time when nearly every conversation about the team seems to circle back to Larkin.

Edvinsson Believes Larkin Can Unite the Red Wings

Edvinsson is not pretending the situation does not exist. Larkin requested a trade during the offseason, lost the captaincy and has declined to reveal whether that request remains active.

Still, Edvinsson expects Larkin to behave like the player his teammates have known for years.

“One thing I know is that when we play the first game, and hopefully Dylan is ready to go by then, Dylan is going to work as hard as everybody else on the ice,” Edvinsson said during his Friday media availability.

Then came the most revealing portion of his answer.

“I think it’s somehow going to make the team closer because we’re going to see how hard Dylan is working, and Dylan is going to see how hard we’re going to work for him. That’s going to bring the team together.”

That is not a prediction that Larkin will rescind his request. It is not confirmation that he will remain in Detroit all season. It is a teammate separating Larkin’s dispute with the organization from Larkin’s relationship with the players inside the room.

Larkin’s Red Wings Future Remains Unresolved

Larkin spoke publicly Thursday but would not explain exactly what triggered his decision or say whether he still wants to be traded. He described the matter as deeply personal and acknowledged that he may never be comfortable revealing the entire story.

The former captain did confirm that he spoke honestly with his teammates and told them they were not responsible for his decision. His comments left the central question unanswered, just as interim general manager Shawn Horcoff did when he was asked directly about Larkin’s trade request.

According to NHL.com’s report on Larkin’s media availability, the 30-year-old does not regret making the request, although he acknowledged it was a difficult decision.

Larkin is also working his way back from an upper-body injury suffered during off-ice training. Detroit hopes he can return before camp ends, but his absence from the ice has prevented teammates from showing exactly how the new dynamic will function.

Edvinsson does not appear worried.

Detroit’s Players Are Closing Ranks Around Larkin

Edvinsson’s comments fit a pattern developing inside Detroit’s locker room. The players are not attempting to answer questions that belong to Larkin and the front office. They are focused on what happens once he returns to the ice.

Moritz Seider took a similar position, calling Larkin’s presence at camp a good sign and saying Detroit has an opportunity to become a better team with him. Alex DeBrincat also made his support clear when he addressed Larkin’s trade request.

That does not resolve the trade request. It does, however, challenge the assumption that Detroit’s locker room must fracture because of it.

Larkin may no longer wear the “C,” but his teammates still understand what he provides. He remains Detroit’s top center, one of its most productive players and someone who has endured the franchise’s entire playoff drought.

Edvinsson’s message was not that everything is fixed. It was that the Red Wings intend to work for Larkin while expecting him to work just as hard for them.

Whatever happens with Larkin’s future, Detroit’s players are not treating him like someone who has already left.