Overview
- Head coach Todd McLellan confirmed Thursday that Larkin will miss the Red Wings’ season opener and the second game with an upper-body injury and that he is being treated day-to-day.
- Larkin missed the entire preseason with the same upper-body problem and the team is hopeful he can return for Game 3 against Ottawa if his recovery progresses.
- Larkin formally requested a trade in the offseason and was stripped of the captaincy, and his long-term contract with full no-trade protections makes potential deals more complicated.
- With Larkin out to start the season, Andrew Copp is expected to slide into the top-center role and the top power-play unit, forcing short-term changes across Detroit’s forward lines.
- Steve Yzerman’s move to senior adviser and Shawn Horcoff’s role as interim general manager leave the club cautious about major transactions, though some analysts have predicted a trade could still happen in the early weeks of the season.