BUFFALO _ A highly unusual situation with Dylan Larkin is entering its second week, as the Detroit Red Wings remain without their captain.
Larkin has not been on the ice with teammates since playing Oct. 30 at Toronto, with the team saying he is away for personal reasons.
“I don’t see any reason to talk about our internal discussions on any of it,” coach Jeff Blashill said Saturday morning. “I understand it’s hard for you guys not to have answers, but he’s missing for personal reasons and we’ll leave it at that.”
Blashill did say Larkin has remained on the 23-man roster.
[ 10 thoughts on Red Wings after 10 games: The kids are all right ]
Since losing 5-4 to the Maple Leafs, the Wings (4-5-2 entering Saturday) had a day off Oct. 31, practiced Monday in Montreal, lost 3-0 Tuesday against the Canadiens, practiced Wednesday in Boston, lost 5-1 against the Bruins on Thursday and practiced Friday in Buffalo. When Larkin was not at Monday’s practice, Blashill said it was a maintenance day — a catchall that usually means a player is a little banged up and needs extra rest — but since then, Blashill has said Larkin “is away for personal reasons.”
COVID-19 can be ruled out, because the NHL reports if team personnel is in pandemic protocol. Likewise, the NHL Players Association typically reports if a player has entered one of its support programs — for example, the PA announced Oct. 7 that Canadiens goaltender Carey Price had taken a leave of absence to deal with unspecified mental health issues.
LOSING STREAK:Red Wings search for their confidence
NEW BOOK:Commemorating Detroit Red Wings’ 1997 Stanley Cup title
Larkin, 25, has been vocal about how difficult of an offseason he had after suffering a neck injury April 20 when Dallas’ Jamie Benn shoved his stick into Larkin’s spine. Larkin had to be hospitalized overnight, and spent eight weeks in a neck brace.
The damage from that hit, and how it would affect Larkin’s return to play, lingered into the start of the season. Larkin was checked from behind into the boards in the first game by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph, and retaliated by punching Joseph. Larkin missed the next game serving a suspension, but played the next seven games.
Larkin has three goals and five assists. During the first half of the trip, the Wings were without Tyler Bertuzzi because his unvaccinated status prevents him from traveling to Canada under current border regulations.
“Dylan is an engine for us, Tyler is an engine,” Blashill said. “They’re two of our best players. The degree to which you miss guys always depends on the degree to which guys that are in those spots, how good they play. If the 12 forwards that are dressed are playing their ‘A’ game, you don’t feel the loss nearly as much.”
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
