Bad news for the Red Wings on the heels of a now two-game losing streak, Captain Dylan Larkin will be on the shelf for at least two weeks with a lower-body injury.
Newsy delivered the bad news Monday morning.
Now, not only are the Red Wings 0-2 with their new trash jerseys, but Priority Waste has now claimed arguably the most important player in the Red Wings’ lineup amid a playoff chase.
Not only is Larkin the team’s leading goal scorer (26) and points-getter (54) this season, but he’s also been the anchor on one of the league’s top lines this season centering between Alex DeBrincat and the red-hot Patrick Kane. The Athletic’s Max Bultman also pointed out that Larkin’s last long absence back in December resulted in the team’s worst stretch of the season.
Larkin is Detroit’s engine as its first-line center, as well as its leading scorer with 54 points in 55 games this season. His last absence, in mid-December, coincided with the team’s worst stretch of the season — first losing four out of five games without him (including the game in which he was knocked unconscious against Ottawa), and then continuing a frustrating December as he and the team worked their way back into form.
The Athletic
So the question now is what the Red Wings do when it comes to the trade deadline which is coming up this Friday? Leading up to this last weekend it seemed like Steve Yzerman was going to stand pat with the only noise being generated were rumors suggesting that Detroit could unload a defenseman. Now, perhaps some additional offensive depth is on the table, especially considering there has always been an additional need for offensive depth despite what the Wings have been able to do this season.
