The Detroit Red Wings appear to be picking up where they left off after missing out on the playoffs for a 10th straight year last season. After dropping their season opener without managing even a goal in a 2-0 home loss to the New York Rangers, Detroit fell 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday to open the season without a point after two games.
The Red Wings hope to get back on track Tuesday night when they host the 2-0-0 Ottawa Senators in the third of four straight home games to open the season.
Before the Senators game, the Red Wings announced the decision that fans had been waiting for, deciding the status of their disgruntled, three-time All-Star center Dylan Larkin.
The Red Wings activated Larkin off the non-roster injured reserve list Tuesday morning, the team announced, setting him up to make his season debut tonight for the winless Red Wings against Ottawa.
His return arrives with the Red Wings’ home crowd still angry about his trade request, and no resolution to that situation in sight.
Larkin skated on the first line with Lucas Raymond and Viktor Arvidsson at morning skate and took part in power-play drills, according to MLive‘s Ansar Khan. The team had not yet confirmed that he will start, or play, but according to Khan’s reporting, Larkin is “good to go.”
“[Coach Todd] McLellan tells reporters in Detroit that Dylan Larkin will play tonight pending clearance from doctors,” added NHL insider Frank Seravalli.
An upper-body injury suffered during an off-ice workout sidelined Larkin before training camp, according to The Athletic. He sat out the losses to New York and Winnipeg before coming off non-roster injured reserve Tuesday, according to the Detroit News.
Larkin’s agent told then-general manager Steve Yzerman shortly after the 2025-26 season that the center wanted a trade. Yzerman confirmed the request publicly June 27, making “no guarantees” it would be met, according to the NHL.com Yzerman report.
Larkin’s Request to Leave Detroit
The request followed a 10th straight season without a playoff berth, the longest drought in franchise history and the longest active streak in the NHL, according to NHL.com‘s Larkin interview coverage. Detroit stripped him of the captaincy before camp.
“I asked for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings as the captain, and actions have consequences,” Larkin said, as quoted by NHL.com.
Larkin, born July 30, 1996, in Waterford, Michigan, went 15th overall in the 2014 draft and spent one season at the University of Michigan, scoring 15 goals and 47 points in 35 games and winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, according to the Red Wings’ NHL.com profile.
He debuted Oct. 9, 2015, against Toronto, scoring 20 seconds into the second period in a 4-0 win, according to Hockey-Reference‘s career page.
He became the 37th captain in team history Jan. 13, 2021, and the first Michigan-born captain. Last season he scored a career-high 34 goals in 74 games, according to HockeyDB.
Detroit is off to the franchise’s first 0-2 regulation start since 2015-16. The Red Wings scored twice in those games, went 1-for-7 on the power play and allowed four power-play goals on eight chances, according to Detroit Hockey Now.
Larkin slots back into the top line and the first power-play unit, according to RotoWire. Ottawa, 2-0 for the first time since 2016, arrives on the second night of a back-to-back.
Dylan Larkin and the Little Caesars Arena Crowd
Fans booed Larkin when he was introduced alongside the inactive players on opening night, according to Fox 2 Detroit‘s coverage. Fans wore altered jerseys reading “Loser” and “Traitor,” and “Sell the team” chants started early in the 2-0 loss.
Coach Todd McLellan responded afterward.
“Obviously, he’s got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade,” McLellan said, as quoted by Daily Faceoff.
Tonight marks his first game at Little Caesars Arena since the request became public. Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET.
Red Wings Announce Dylan Larkin Decision Before Senators Game