DETROIT — Dylan Larkin could make his first appearance of the season Tuesday when the Detroit Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena, but the center still needs medical clearance before the club can put him in the lineup.
Coach Todd McLellan said Larkin’s status will remain a game-time call for the 7 p.m. ET puck drop. The 30-year-old skated in the morning between Lucas Raymond on the left side and Viktor Arvidsson on the right, and he also took turns with the power-play group.
“Once he gets cleared, he’ll be in,” McLellan said.
It would be a significant addition for a Detroit team that has opened with two regulation losses on home ice and only two goals. The Red Wings were shut out 2-0 by the New York Rangers on Friday, then fell 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
Larkin came into camp under unusual circumstances after asking for a trade following last season and being stripped of the captaincy before this one. An upper-body injury suffered during offseason workouts initially kept him from taking part in training camp. He later returned to practice but missed all preseason action and Detroit’s opening two games.
The home crowd greeted him with boos during player introductions before Friday’s opener, but Detroit’s need for its top center has been clear through the first weekend. Larkin posted a personal-best 34 goals last season and has reached the 30-goal mark six times, including in each of the past five campaigns.
From 2021 through 2026, Larkin scored 160 goals for the Red Wings, 37 more than any other Detroit player in that span. He sits 10th on the franchise scoring list with 643 points, built on 276 goals and 367 assists in 808 games. Last season, he recorded 67 points in 74 outings, with 34 goals and 33 assists.
Larkin is in the fourth season of the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $8.7 million.
Detroit will still be short up front against Ottawa even if Larkin is cleared. Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are considered week to week, while J.T. Compher is day to day. McLellan confirmed all three will miss Tuesday’s game.
