While Dylan Larkin may be the reason for the recent success of the Detroit Red Wings, there will be a bump in the road for the Red Wings captain. While Larkin’s subtle speech may have woken up the Red Wings, they will have to continue on without their captain for some time.
Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde announced he will not play tomorrow vs. New York as he is day-to-day. For the Red Wings, Larkin has seemingly been dealing with a nagging injury, and it’s causing him to miss some time.
Per Coach Lalonde, Dylan Larkin (day to day) will not play tomorrow in New York.
Additionally, Justin Holl is questionable for tomorrow and Jake Walman is expected to be available.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 28, 2023
It was noted by Helene St. James that Larkin also took last Saturday off from practice. He missed some time, which is likely problematic for Detroit. On top of that, Larkin is also unlikely to play on Thursday, which could be even more of an issue.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is dealing with an injury.
For the Red Wings, Larkin is the team’s heartbeat. He’s the captain, of course, but he embodies this team and this city, so any time without Larkin has to be tough. Larkin leaves his mark on this team, and there must be hope that he can get back on the ice quickly.
In 2023-24, Larkin played in 20 games for Detroit, where he helped the team’s offense find ways to be successful. Larkin has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 total points, being the team’s 1C in the forward core.
I’m not 100% sure what the injury is, but Larkin has certainly been playing hurt. The time off might be a chance for him to get back on track and be healthy again. Detroit needs to be smart; they cannot afford Larkin to head down a road of injuries.
After all, we’ve all seen what happened to Henrik Zetterberg near the end of his career, with him playing through plenty of injuries. It’s certainly not what the Red Wings want to see happen with Larkin.
While that’s a bit of an extreme comment to make after a day-to-day injury, Larkin’s health comes first. Larkin needs to be at 100%, and a nagging injury that continues to bother him could become a more significant issue down the road.
Either way, Larkin will be out as the team heads to New York and will likely miss Thursday’s game against the Blackhawks in front of the home crowd at Little Caesars Arena.