"We Have His Back": Red Wings Looking Forward to Dylan Larkin's On-Ice Return

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Following a tumultuous several months for the Detroit Red Wings, all signs point toward former captain Dylan Larkin making his season debut Tuesday evening against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

During Tuesday's morning skate, Larkin took line rushes alongside Viktor Arvidsson and Lucas Raymond and also participated in power-play drills.

He had missed all of Training Camp and the preseason, along with the first two regular season games, after having suffered on off-ice injury while working out, but has been a regular participant in practice over the last several sessions. 

According to head coach Todd McLellan, Larkin has "one more" hurdle to clear before he's officially cleared to return to action.

"It looks that way right now," McLellan said of Larkin's chances of playing. "He's got one more hurdle to cross. He's still on IR, so the doctor will look at him now. If he's clear, he's playing. If he's not, then he won't." 

The fan reaction to Larkin was made clear Friday evening when he was introduced alongside the rest of the club's inactive players. Fans booed him heavily, with many viewing the Michigan-born former captain's stunning summer trade request as a personal betrayal.

However, the players in the locker room have taken a different approach, repeatedly saying their chances of winning are much higher with Larkin on the ice and that he has their support.

"We've got his back," Alex DeBrincat said after Tuesday's skate. "We're here for him, and we're trying to win games out there, and he's going to help us do that. We're going to do anything we can to support him...he makes our team a lot better. We're excited to have him back."

"The players have said they believe we're a better team with Dylan Larkin in the lineup, and I can't argue with that," McLellan said. "We'll be excited about getting him back, and they'll expect his best every shift."

Teammate Moritz Seider, who is a candidate to eventually succeed Larkin as captain, echoed that sentiment, saying the team is eager to have him back in the lineup.

"He'll obviously provide, hopefully, a big spark," said Seider. "Everyone is looking forward to hopefully getting two points tonight."

As for the potential chilly reception Larkin could receive after being booed Friday, Seider acknowledged that fans have a right to voice their feelings. However, he believes the simplest way to quiet the noise is for the team to play well and give them something to cheer about.

"It's never something you want to hear,” Seider said of the booing. “But as I said before, this is their opportunity to express their feelings, and however they feel, they're gonna make it noticed. I think we're prepared for everything, and the better we play, I think the easier it is to eliminate noise."

As Larkin mentioned during a press conference last month, he addressed his trade request with his teammates but kept the substance of that conversation private. Seider echoed that sentiment.

"He talked to us, and he mentioned a couple of things," Seider said. "Besides that, I think that's between us and him, and shouldn't be commented (on) further."

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The Red Wings were shut out in their season opener against the New York Rangers and didn't score until late in the second period of their second game against the Winnipeg Jets, when they managed two goals in a 3-2 loss. 

Larkin, who has reached the 30-goal plateau in each of the last five seasons, should help with that. 

"Let's face it, we've had a tough time scoring so far this season, and Dylan's been able to provide offense for this team for a number of years, so that should help us," McLellan said.

Larkin's pending return comes at a time when the Red Wings are even more shorthanded, as forwards Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton have been designated as "week to week" with injury, while J.T. Compher, who will not play on Tuesday, is "day to day".

Meanwhile, unsigned RFA defenseman Simon Edvinsson is still in Sweden admist his contract stalemate.

The Red Wings will drop the puck against the Senators shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET. 

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