After a stellar start to the 2025-26 NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings find themselves in a precarious position, having dropped nine of their last 14 games since January 22. With their playoff aspirations dwindling, the recent injuries to captain Dylan Larkin and forward Andrew Copp only add to the challenges ahead.
Both Larkin and Copp are sidelined for at least two weeks due to lower-body injuries, as confirmed by head coach Todd McLellan. “Two weeks is still two weeks,” McLellan remarked during the team’s morning skate before a crucial matchup against the Lightning in Tampa Bay.
“They're both very good players. We'd like to have them in the lineup.”
Larkin, a cornerstone for Detroit, has been a key contributor with 55 points in 63 games this season. Meanwhile, Copp has added 37 points over 65 games.
Larkin’s injury occurred during a tough 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on March 6, following an awkward fall. Copp was injured in a separate incident against the Panthers, tangled up with Florida’s Tomas Nosek.
Their absence leaves Detroit thin at center. JT Compher is expected to step up as the top-line center, flanked by Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. Marco Kasper, Michael Rasmussen, and Sheldon Dries are other options to fill the gaps.
“If all goes well with recovery, we'll hopefully have them back and in that time frame, they don't lose a lot of conditioning or timing,” McLellan added. “We're hoping the two-week time frame is what it turns out to be.”
In the fiercely competitive Atlantic Division, Detroit has slipped to fourth place, trailing the Buffalo Sabres, Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens. They currently hold the top wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, but with the Boston Bruins just a point behind and the Columbus Blue Jackets gaining ground, the pressure is on. The Red Wings are eager to end a playoff drought that stretches back to the 2016-17 season.