The Red Wings are back in Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night, and the timing makes this one feel bigger than a routine home date. Detroit opens a three-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils in a nationally televised matchup, still searching for win No. 2 on the season.
That search comes with a few question marks attached. Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson are both uncertain heading into the game, leaving Detroit to sort through its lineup as the rest of the league stacks up a busy night with 15 other games on the schedule.
The calendar could also matter beyond Tuesday. Detroit’s next two opponents are New Jersey, which allowed four goals in a loss to Ottawa last night, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who remain winless as of this writing. That stretch gives Larkin a chance to keep building value if rival teams start making calls.
There’s also a broader market backdrop to all of this. Aleksander Barkov and Matt Duchene are both out long term for Florida and Dallas, and the Minnesota Wild - who looked like the frontrunners for Larkin in the offseason - have had several players fall out of their lineup, changing the depth in their forward group.
Edvinsson remains a player the Red Wings would rather keep than move, but the situation is not gaining clarity. The two sides have not made any public progress toward a long-term agreement to keep the big Swedish blueliner in Hockeytown.
Elsewhere around the club, there was some light reading from Monday on the Red Wings’ top prospect netminders, along with an excerpt from Hall of Fame former referee Roger McCreary’s new book that offered a behind-the-scenes look at one of Bob Probert’s most infamous fights. Jesse Kiiskinen also had an impressive weekend for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Detroit’s season, so far, has already taken on a strange shape. The Ottawa Senators own one of the best records in the league with just a single loss, despite trading away the player who was the captain of their team at this time last year. That lone defeat came against the Red Wings, who have only one victory themselves.
That win was also Larkin’s first game back after a preseason injury, and he was central to Detroit’s only result so far, helping deliver the team its first victory of the year.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Trade Talk Now Hinges On One Massive Detroit Decision
Dylan Larkins trade request has put the Red Wings in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, with the captain holding a full no-trade clause and control over where this situation goes next. Among the teams believed to be in the mix, Florida stands out because of Larkins existing familiarity with some of the Panthers players and management from past international play, which makes the fit easier to imagine than most.
For the Panthers, the appeal is obvious. Theyre dealing with injuries and always have to juggle the salary cap carefully, so any pursuit of Larkin would have to be measured against the roster consequences of making it happen. The question now is whether Detroit and Florida can align on a framework that makes sense for both sides, especially if the price eventually requires a significant piece from the Panthers current lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Appear Ready To Lock In A Core Scorer
The Red Wings appear to be on the verge of keeping one of their most important finishers in place, with Alex DeBrincats strong play this season making him an obvious priority in Detroit. After arriving as a proven scorer, he has quickly become a central piece of the lineup, and the organization now seems ready to reward that impact with a long-term commitment.
Multiple reports from Elliotte Friedman, Chris Johnston and Emily Kaplan point to an agreement that would keep DeBrincat tied to Detroit for years to come, a sign the club wants more than a short window of production from a player who has already changed the look of its attack. The only step left is the formal word from the team, which appears to be coming soon. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Found A Dangerous New Line But Still Let One Slip Away
Alex DeBrincat gave Detroit a much-needed spark, scoring twice and adding an assist in a back-and-forth game against New Jersey, but it still ended in a 5-4 loss for the Red Wings. The Devils spread the offense around with goals from Jesper Bratt, Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha and Nico Hischier, while Detroit had enough firepower to stay in it and make the night feel like more than just another defeat.
The shot margin was part of the story, too, with New Jersey testing Detroit more often over the course of the game. Even so, the Red Wings left the building knowing they had stumbled onto a line that created real problems for the Devils, the kind of combination that can change how opponents have to defend them if it keeps showing up. [Read more 🡒]