The Red Wings are heading into training camp with more questions than answers, and the biggest one still centers on Dylan Larkin.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff met with reporters for the first time since taking over the job, and he didn’t try to dress up the situation. Larkin has been announced with an injury that will keep him out of camp, leaving Detroit to sort through the start of the season without its captain on the ice.
“We’re a better team with Dylan Larkin in our lineup, and we’re just going to take it day by day and see how this goes.”
That uncertainty hangs over everything right now, especially with the team back in town and camp battles about to begin. The Red Wings have several young players trying to force their way into the picture, including Carter Bear, Sutter Muzzatti, and Dylan James, all of whom had strong showings at the prospect tournament. The real test now is whether that momentum carries over when they’re lined up against more experienced competition.
Horcoff made it clear that’s exactly what the organization wants to see.
“We’ve got some prospects that are pushing. So I expect camp to be super competitive, you know, and that’s kind of what we’re looking for,” Said Horcoff, ‘We want guys to challenge for jobs. We want guys to challenge for bigger roles.’
The Larkin situation also means Detroit will open camp without its captain on the ice until the injury picture is resolved.
There’s movement elsewhere in the league, too. In Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the Jets after not reporting to training camp. Hellebuyck had requested a trade earlier this offseason, but like Larkin, he still doesn’t have a new team.
Horcoff also offered a notable mention of Alex DeBrincat, calling him one of the Red Wings leaders as the season approaches. DeBrincat has been in the league for a decade and is one of the faces of the franchise as a “hometown kid.”
His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but Horcoff has the authority to negotiate an extension to keep DeBrincat in Detroit long term.
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