The Detroit Red Wings may not be without Dylan Larkin for more than a game or two.
Larkin, the team’s captain, was injured Friday, March 6.
As he came to a stop to take a shot in the third period against the Florida Panthers at Little Caesars, his right leg bent awkwardly, leaving him in visible pain. He was able to make it to the bench on his own, but was helped down the tunnel.
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Yet as bad as it looked, Larkin isn’t expected to miss much time.
He’ll miss the Wings’ game on Sunday at the New Jersey Devils, the start of a four-game trip, but the fact Larkin is traveling is a huge relief for the team.
“He’ll need some time to recover,” coach Todd McLellan said Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. “I can’t give you a timeline on that. We’ll see how it goes day by day.
“But when you start talking about the lower extremities and you see what happened, you’re, OK, now what? So so far we’re not talking about year ending or anything like that. That’s a real good sign for him and for our team.”
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Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin skates with the puck in the second period against the Florida Panthers at Little Caesars Arena, March 6, 2026.
Larkin ranks third on the team in scoring with 55 points in 63 games, trailing Lucas Raymond (65 in 61) and Alex DeBrincat (63 in 63). Larkin has 28 goals and 27 assists, and his plus-7 rating, tied for third-best on the Wings.
The Wings called up 2024 first-round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, to insert into the lineup. He was called up under emergency conditions, as Larkin’s absence left the Wings with only 11 forwards after Friday’s trade of Elmer Söderblom to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Trade deadline acquisition David Perron won’t be available for about two weeks as he’s in the final phase of a comeback from sports hernia surgery.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dylan Larkin injury update: Detroit Red Wings captain is ‘day-to-day’