Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - How Did The Detroit Red Wings Become Such A MESS?? w/David Pagnotta | BB Clips

Episode Date: October 9, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett are joined by NHL insider David Pagnotta to try to make sense of the absolute mess surrounding the Detroit Red Wings. What the HELL is the plan in Detroit right now? Dylan Larkin reportedly wants out but continues to suit up for the team, while Simon Edvinsson remains at home waiting for his future to be resolved. To make matters even more confusing, the Red Wings still don't have a permanent general manager. The guys dive into how Detroit reached this point, whether the organization can repair its relationships with two important players and who is actually making the decisions moving forward. With so much uncertainty surrounding the franchise, how does Detroit even begin to turn things around? And at what point does somebody finally step in and figure out what the plan is? Video Link: https://youtu.be/8oE4YrdBFSY#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #redwings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Give us the state of the union in Detroit. There's been an ownership change. There's been a front office change, but not the full change. So you got a player in Sweden without a contract. You got a Michigan-born captain that wanted out, and now we have uncertainty there. Give us the state of the union on the wings. It's a mess. Yeah, it's a rough one.

And I'm here in Montreal. They play the HABs tomorrow. There's going to be a lot of questions surrounding this team until these changes. changes start being made. I mean, they thought they had their GM right around Labor Day. And he stuck with the Tigers and they had no backup plan. Like they were ready to make that announcement. I think the Tuesday or Wednesday right after Labor Day and didn't happen. So everybody else is going, okay, well, you can't talk to our guy now. We got a season to deal with. And we need these guys running ship with our management team. So, you know, they stuck with Horkoff. He does have, you know,

power, as far as I know, to make whatever changes he needs. But, you know, the negotiation hasn't gone well at all with Edmondson. Yeah, he prefers a trade. I don't think a formal demand has been made. But, you know, we had word. I was talking with Jeff Merrick last week about this on the insider. Like, we were in a position now where trade might be best. And that's kind of where they're at. There's a lot of frustration from the player's side on Edwinson's side with respect to how things went of coming to camp and nothing getting done, even though they said they would get something done. And he ends up back in Sweden as a ticked off 23-year-old that's highly coveted across the league. They didn't want to address the trade discussions with teams last week. This week it's shifted,

where at least they're starting to listen and being a little bit more aggressive on the trade front with a few teams. Their preference and the message that Horkoff is giving, at least from the teams I'm talking to, is still that they want to sign this guy, and that's their goal and that's where they're focused on. But they're doing a little bit more in terms of the due diligence factor on what a potential package or return could be for a guy like Evanston

if this does get prolonged. Larkin came back. I think it really comes down to him. If he continues how he did in his first game and continues to perform, it may escalate another team's urgency to try to get this guy. And I think that's the preference. It's the preference from the player's side.

But I think everybody involved, if he keeps performing, you know, a team will look at this and go, all right, yeah, we understand what we got here. We don't want the competition to start picking up even further. The biggest issue is the dollars. It's almost a dollar in dollar out scenario for the 10 teams that he's willing to go to at the moment. And so you've got to deal with what's the acquisition cost for Larkin. And then how do we offset the money?

So it's almost two trades in one that you may have to deal with unless he's willing to further expand the longer this goes. But there are teams like Philly that continue to poke around that have been told, uh-uh, he's not willing to go there. So whatever the other teams that were added, whether it's a Boston or L.A. that have also poked around Montreal's relayed the same message. If he's willing to come here, we'd love to make it happen. Not yet. So there are some cap restraints and some challenges, a number of challenges that Horkoff has to deal with on the Larkin front, even though he's expanded that list. Rhett's shaking his head.

What a mess. Some amazing cities to play in. Yeah. Is Minnie the natural? Like that feels hand and glove. They've got a great team, but they're a little light at center ice. I mean,

they've got some good depth centers, but no one that looks like a number one. I love Eric Sineck as a checking line center. Hartman's gritty, but like they don't have a one C. He would be lovely there. Well, I mean, if Detroit was willing to take a futures-driven package,

this would have been done in the summer. but they've been adamant that that's not what they want to do. They want two immediate pieces plus whatever is going to offset the rest of the cost, future-wise, whether it's a first-round pick, another prospect or whatnot. There's probably a few teams where they could have made a trade if it's futures driven. They don't want that. And they're firm on that stance. I don't know how much longer they can be firm on that stance,

but that's where they've maintained their positioning. you know, Orkoff's kind of followed in the same messaging that Iserman had with respect to what that price is going to be. And if you're not willing to pay it, then we're not having a conversation. Again, the problem now that we're into the season isn't just the cost. It's also offsetting the money. So, Red, think about this. Like, he only wants to go to contenders.

It's ridiculous. It can't happen. And then all the contenders are the teams that aren't going to give up players off the roster. They want to give futures. Like, I just, it's kind of like Helibuck. I'm like, I don't know how this ends. I don't see until, just, Detroit's open to futures, how does this get done?

He's not going to show to it. Spartan up and be open to futures because they're not that good. And that's that's that's the challenge for again, that's a challenge in Detroit's like Detroit. I mean, if they wake up one morning and finally say, okay, the only way we can fix this whole mess is if we do an aggressive immediate re-rebuild and generate some significant assets for Larkin, for Edvenson, for DeBringit, for cop, etc.

a Falk and so on that are on expiring deals, get some young NHL caliber talent slash top level prospects and high draft picks and then be very aggressive in the free agent market in July. You could go that route. A lot of people believe that's the route they should probably take. It just, they're still not willing to go in that direction. And we... Is that ownership? Yeah.

It's a combo. It's a combo of ownership and just the remaining management staff still. fairly entrenched in Eisenman's overall direction. They haven't really alleviated that plan, so to speak. It's so messy because they've been out for so long, and yet they're not, you don't look at their school.

I don't dislike some of their players, but you don't look at that squad and go, here's an up-and-comer. Like you would do with a sand, right? Yeah. You haven't had the luck at the, I think they've drafted decently, but they haven't had good luck at getting a superstar guy. Yeah, not since the, not since the two guys that they got, the two young kids that they, in Mo Cider and Lucas Raymond, beyond that, you've got solid talent coming into the system.

I mean, Edvinson would be the next guy, but you don't have another caliber that can step in immediately. And, you know, they're the new Buffalo. Like, that's the last thing they want. But that's where they're at with how long they've missed the playoffs and with the direction of this team. And now everybody being, you know, frustrated into wanting out. they're the

unfortunately for them and the fan base, they're the new sabers.