The Detroit Red Wings could get a familiar face back in the lineup Tuesday night.
Larkin is expected to make his season debut when the Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena, though the veteran center still must receive final medical clearance before Detroit officially activates him from injured reserve. Todd McLellan said after the morning skate that the possibility of Larkin returning “looks that way right now.”
Larkin skated between Lucas Raymond and Viktor Arvidsson during Tuesday’s morning skate and also worked on the club’s top power-play unit. Those combinations strongly suggest Detroit intends to place him right back into a major role if he is cleared to play.
His return would come at an important time for a Red Wings team still searching for its first victory of the season. Detroit opened the year with losses to the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets, scoring just two total goals across those contests.
Larkin Could Immediately Reclaim Top-Line Duties
Detroit has been without its No. 1 center since the start of the season after Larkin suffered an upper-body injury during offseason training. Although he returned to practice before opening night, he did not participate in the preseason and remained out of the lineup for the first two regular-season games.
If he receives medical clearance, there appears to be little interest in slowly working him back into the lineup. Instead, Detroit is preparing to return him directly to the top line alongside Raymond and Arvidsson, a trio expected to shoulder much of the offensive workload.
The timing is significant because Detroit is already dealing with injury concerns elsewhere among its forwards. According to Todd McLellan, Marco Kasper is considered week-to-week, while J.T. Compher is day-to-day. Forward Mason Appleton is also sidelined.
Larkin Remains Detroit’s Most Consistent Offensive Threat
The Red Wings have leaned heavily on Larkin’s production over the past several years, and last season was another example of his importance to the organization.
The 30-year-old produced a career-high 34 goals and added 33 assists for 67 points. The season marked his fifth consecutive campaign with at least 30 goals, further establishing him as Detroit’s top offensive producer. His production has been remarkably steady. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Larkin has scored 160 goals, 37 more than any other Red Wings player during that stretch.
That body of work explains why his return carries added importance for a team that struggled to finish scoring chances during its first two games. As Detroit looks to generate more offense, getting its leading goal scorer back into the lineup would provide an immediate boost.
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