Because of an upper-body injury, dylan Larkin is not playing for the Detroit Red Wings against the New York Rangers on Friday.
The team placed Larkin on injured reserve before the season opener, ruling him out for at least the first two games of the 2026-27 season. McLellan said the team hopes Larkin can return for Detroit’s third game, against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, October 6. “I’m hoping Game 3. Detroit officially placed Larkin on injured reserve retroactive to August 15 on October 2. The move confirmed that the 30-year-old center would not be available for the season opener.
His absence comes during a tense period after he asked Detroit for a trade and lost the captaincy. Larkin suffered the injury while working out away from the ice and has not played during training camp or the preseason. He was booed by some fans during pregame introductions at Little Caesars Arena. Larkin injured his upper body during an off-ice workout before training camp began. The injury kept him from taking part in the start of camp and later ruled him out of the entire preseason. The Red Wings initially did not give a clear return date.
“He’s working with the training staff to push through,” McLellan said. That changed on Thursday, when coach Todd McLellan said Larkin would miss both the opener against the Rangers and Sunday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets.
