The Detroit Red Wings are already trying to get by without Dylan Larkin, and Thursday night they handled the first test just fine.
Detroit beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1, pushing its record to 6-4-3 and keeping the club within a point of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. For a team dealing with Larkin’s trade request and the fallout around it, that’s a sturdier opening than most people likely expected.
Victor Arvidsson was the difference maker all night. He scored three times, added an assist and finished off the hat trick with an empty-net goal. His first goal got Detroit level, and his second put him in front on the team scoring chart.
The Red Wings didn’t wait long to find their next step after Larkin’s departure from the lineup. Earlier in the day, Larkin told the team he was not going to play with the Red Wings anymore after requesting a trade earlier in the summer.
Detroit suspended him from the team. With that situation hanging over everything, the Red Wings got a key road map for the present: keep leaning on production from elsewhere.
Lucas Raymond delivered the biggest goal of the game, scoring on the power play early in the third period after former Red Wing Patrick Kane was called for high-sticking Raymond. That gave Detroit the lead for good.
Chicago had opened the scoring in the first period on a Connor Bedard goal, but the Blackhawks could never fully separate themselves. Detroit’s defense kept the game tight, and John Gibson gave the Red Wings a huge lift in the second period by stopping Frank Nazar on a penalty shot with less than nine minutes left. The game was tied 1-1 at the time.
Detroit’s forward depth is going to look different without Larkin in the picture. Unless the Red Wings acquire a center back in a Larkin deal, the group down the middle now includes Emmitt Finnie as the No. 1 center, along with Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher and Sheldon Dreis.
There were other notes beyond the scoreline. Axel Sandin-Pellikka was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game, and rookie defenseman William Willander picked up his fourth point in eight games.
The key Arvidsson moment came at 7:31 of the second period, when he redirected a shot by William Willinder into the net to tie the game 1-1. That goal was Arvidsson’s sixth of the season, pulling him even with Alex DeBrincat for the team lead. His second goal of the night gave him the team lead outright with seven.
Detroit’s defensive work through the first 40 minutes stood out, too. The Red Wings held Chicago to 11 shots on goal over that stretch, not counting Gibson’s penalty shot stop.
Next up, Detroit visits St. Louis for a 1 p.m. start on Halloween Saturday.
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Reached A Surprising Turning Point Without Larkin
Dylan Larkins suspension without pay has pushed the Red Wings into a strange new stretch, one that could mark the end of his run in Detroit. With the captain suddenly out of the picture, the team has also stumbled into an unexpected milestone on its own roster: Michael Rasmussen is now the longest-tenured player in Detroit professional sports, a role that says plenty about how much the franchise has changed since his arrival.
Rasmussen has been part of the organization since he was drafted in 2017 and has grown into a steady presence through a lot of turnover around him. Across 467 games for the Red Wings, he has logged 67 goals and 90 assists, and now his place in the teams timeline feels even more notable as Detroit moves forward without one of its defining figures. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face Real Pressure In The Simon Edvinsson Talks
The clock is suddenly working against Detroit in the Simon Edvinsson situation, and the stakes are a lot higher than a routine restricted free agent negotiation. The Red Wings have until Dec. 1 to get Edvinsson under contract, with interim GM Shawn Horcoff making it clear that signing the young defenseman remains the priority as the team tries to sort out its next move.
But the talks have not stayed neatly between player and club. Trade discussions involving Edvinsson have reportedly taken place, with San Jose among the teams that have shown interest, which adds another layer of pressure to a situation already carrying a hard deadline. If Detroit and Edvinsson cannot reach an agreement, the Red Wings may be forced to weigh whether to keep pushing on a contract or explore a market that appears to be forming around him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Make Another Blue Line Change After Tough Early Decision
The Red Wings are making another adjustment on the blue line, recalling Jacob Bernard-Docker from Grand Rapids and sending Axel Sandin-Pellikka back to the Griffins. It is the latest shuffle for a defense group that has already been in flux early this season, with Detroit trying to find the right mix while balancing development and immediate help.
Bernard-Dockers return gives the Red Wings another option after his season got off to a delayed start, while Sandin-Pellikka heads back to the AHL after a limited run in Detroit. The former first-round pick showed enough promise to earn a look, but the club is clearly opting for a reset after his minutes were hard to come by and the defensive results were uneven. [Read more 🡒]