Dylan Larkin may be back in the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup as soon as Tuesday night, and that alone is enough to turn an already messy situation into must-watch theater.
Detroit is carrying the NHL’s longest active playoff drought after the Buffalo Sabres reached the postseason last year, and the start of this season has only added to the tension. The Red Wings are 0-2-0, Larkin has been dealing with an injury, and the longtime captain’s trade request still hasn’t led to a deal under either former general manager Steve Yzerman or the interim front office that has been in place since Yzerman’s departure. On top of that, Larkin was stripped of the captaincy.
The reaction from the fan base has already been impossible to ignore. When Larkin was introduced with the other scratches before the home opener, he was loudly booed in Detroit.
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton dug into what Larkin’s return could look like and how strange the scene might feel if he’s on the ice in front of that same crowd.
Yaremchuk pointed out that Larkin skating on the top line suggested a season debut could come against the Ottawa Senators, and he framed the moment as one that could create a jarring atmosphere in Detroit. Hutton agreed the matchup has plenty going on around it, noting Ottawa is on a back-to-back and Ullmark will be out, but said the biggest question will be how the crowd reacts when Larkin gets the puck.
He described it as a rare NHL situation: being booed at home while still wearing the team’s jersey.
Yaremchuk said the whole thing becomes even stranger because it’s the home team delivering the boos. He also raised the question of what that means for anyone skating alongside Larkin, especially if the crowd is raining down boos every time the centerman touches the puck.
Hutton said players have to tune that out once the game starts, though he expects the noise to be louder early. He also noted that the buildup matters, and said Larkin has plenty on his mind given how long he has been the face of the Red Wings.
As Hutton put it, “there’s got to be a lot of thoughts and a lot of emotions running through his head. It’s not like this is just like a little short stint.
He’s been the face of the Red Wings for a lot of years. I’m sure it still means a lot to him; this is a very unique situation tonight.”
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Dylan Larkins Return Came With A Reality Red Wings Fans Cant Ignore
Dylan Larkins return to the Red Wings lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury gave Detroit a familiar jolt, even if the circumstances around him remain anything but simple. He had already been through a summer trade request, and the noise around that decision has not faded, but he was back on the ice and helped the Red Wings beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 with the kind of night Detroit needs from one of its most important players.
The return also came with a reminder that the situation is still uncomfortable for everyone involved. Larkin heard boos from fans and took some chirping from opponents, but he said his focus is on playing and helping the team win until a trade happens. For now, the Red Wings are getting production from a player whose future has been a topic all season, and that reality is hard for their fans to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Fans Got A Response That Only Deepened The Frustration
The early-season mood around Little Caesars Arena has already turned sour, and Chris Ilitch tried to meet that frustration head-on with a letter posted on LinkedIn. After a 1-2 start, Red Wings fans have made their displeasure clear with chants to sell the team and boos directed at captain Dylan Larkin, and the organization is now leaning on promotions to help fill the building while the noise around the club keeps growing.
What made the response land so awkwardly is what it left unsaid. Ilitchs note addressed the frustration, but it did not touch on Steve Yzermans removal or the ongoing search for a new general manager, and the questions around the front office are only getting louder as the situation around top defenseman Simon Edvinsson adds another layer of uncertainty for a team already trying to calm its fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin's Return Gave The Red Wings Something They Desperately Needed
Dylan Larkins first game back gave the Red Wings the jolt they had been waiting for. Detroit looked more composed from the start in its home meeting with Ottawa, staying out of early penalty trouble and playing with the kind of urgency that had been missing during a winless stretch that dragged on for nearly six months. Alex DeBrincat led the way offensively with three points, and head coach Todd McLellan had plenty of reason to like the way his team responded around its captains return.
Larkin made the kind of immediate impact Detroit needed, scoring in a game the Red Wings controlled on the way to a 5-2 victory. It was the teams first lead of the season, a small but meaningful marker for a club trying to reset its tone after a frustrating start. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night spark or the beginning of the Red Wings finally finding the steady play they have been searching for. [Read more 🡒]