Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin exited Friday’s game with an apparent lower-body injury. Fortunately, per head coach Todd McLellan, the injury doesn’t appear to be long-term. Having said that, losing Larkin, even for a handful of games, couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Red Wings.
Detroit is currently in the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re two points ahead of the Boston Bruins and just four ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should they fall victim to a skid, they could very well lose their playoff spot they’ve fought so hard to secure. Losing one of their best players at the start of March is a nightmare waiting to happen.
It’s even worse when you take into account Detroit’s historically bad March performances over the last three seasons.
Red Wings Struggling with Center Depth
With Larkin out, the Red Wings’ next threat at center comes in the form of Andrew Copp. Copp, while having a solid season in his own right, has just 35 points in 63 games. To top this off, he’s primarily a low-event, defense-first forward. Copp’s play style isn’t meant to elevate his line mates into scoring positions. He’s more of a solid shutdown guy who can let line-drivers like Alex DeBrincat put their own spin on things.
Still, it isn’t all doom and gloom in Hockeytown. This opportunity should serve as a perfect chance for someone like Marco Kasper to step up. Kasper has had an underwhelming season so far, putting up just 15 points in 2025-26. Still, his elevation to the second line during this stint should give him a chance to take it up a notch.
Reinforcements Coming to Red Wings
Additionally, the Red Wings made a few moves during the trade deadline to bolster the roster. First, they acquired David Perron for a conditional pick, giving the middle-six wingers an extra weapon. After that, they flipped Elmer Soderblom to the Pittsburgh Penguins, acquiring a third round pick in return. Finally, they used that pick, a first round pick and prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov to acquire defensive threat Justin Faulk.
Faulk should help the Red Wings to stay stable on the defensive end, taking some of that burden off Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson. Moving Soderblom freed up a roster spot, allowing the Red Wings to call up Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. This move gives the Red Wings even more scoring depth to hopefully alleviate the void left with Larkin’s injury.
Red Wings Face Tough Test Moving Forward
The Red Wings embark on a four game road trip this week. The trip starts with the New Jersey Devils and features the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. If Detroit can manage even a .500 record with this tight schedule, they should be able to tread water just in time for the playoffs.
But, the more wins they steal without Larkin, the better. With just 19 games left on the regular season schedule for the Red Wings, they’ll need to show they aren’t like the teams of the past.
Red Wings Left with Limited Options Following Dylan Larkin Injury