Dylan Larkin’s Two-Week Absence Puts Red Wings’ Playoff Push in Jeopardy
Keeping hold of a playoff spot has suddenly become far more challenging for the Detroit Red Wings.
With 21 games remaining, the Red Wings are in a favourable position, controlling the first wild-card seed in the East with a 33-22-6 record and 72 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning are directly behind them with 72 points but sit second with one fewer victory in the ROW column.
Detroit, however, will now be without captain Dylan Larkin for at least two weeks as he recovers from a lower-body injury, head coach Derek Lalonde announced Monday.
That means the 27-year-old centre will be unavailable during the club’s upcoming four-game road trip, beginning Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
“Probably have a better feel of his progress after the road trip,” Lalonde told reporters Monday.
Larkin suffered the injury during Saturday’s 4-0 shutout loss to the Florida Panthers, playing just 17:36 before his night ended after committing a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct midway through the third period.
Joe Veleno, owner of 11 goals and 26 points in 59 games this season, skated on the club’s top line alongside Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, with Larkin unavailable for Monday’s practice.
Filling that massive void up the middle will be next to impossible to accomplish. Nevertheless, Lalonde expects the rest of his skaters to do their best to rise to the occasion with their captain sidelined.
The Red Wings, currently on a two-game losing skid, last made the playoffs in 2016 before embarking on a seven-season drought. But that dreadful run may end this season, with MoneyPuck projecting their post-season odds at 75.8% entering Monday’s slate.
Increasing that figure without Larkin in the lineup won’t be easy, considering their upcoming road trip includes stops in Colorado (Wednesday) and Las Vegas (Saturday).
Amidst his ninth season with Detroit, Larkin leads the team in goals (26) and points (54) across 55 games in 2023-24. He also ranks first among forwards in average ice time (19:52) and is tied for second overall with defenceman Jake Walman, trailing only Moritz Seider (22:14).
The Waterford, Michigan, native has tallied 205 goals and 491 points in 639 games since being selected 15th overall by the Red Wings in 2014. He debuted in the playoffs as a rookie in ‘16, potting a goal during his brief five-game appearance.
Surviving these next two weeks will be critical for Detroit. If this winless drought continues, it could drop them out of a playoff spot, with the New York Islanders – who’ve won three straight – just six points back of a wild-card position.
The Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils aren’t that far behind, either, trailing the Red Wings and Lightning by seven and eight points, respectively.
Barring a setback, Larkin is expected to return before the regular season concludes, meaning general manager Steve Yzerman won’t be able to spend his $8.7 million cap hit elsewhere on the roster. But he could use the $3 million cap space that’s currently available.
Many of the top-tier centres, such as Elias Lindholm (Canucks) and Sean Monahan (Jets), have already been dealt. But perhaps the Red Wings could target the next tier, which includes Anaheim’s Adam Henrique and Seattle’s Alex Wennberg, for help up the middle.
Either way, Detroit appears to be a team worth monitoring in the days leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Ken Lund. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.