Andrew Copp is ahead of schedule, good news for a Detroit Red Wings squad with a season-high occupancy in sick bay.
Copp was part of the Wings’ practice ahead of their game on March 19, against the Montreal Canadiens, part of a four-game homestand. Copp injured his left leg when he became tangled up with an opponent during a game against the Florida Panthers on March 10, four days after Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury, also in a game against the Panthers. The prognosis for both suggested they were unlikely to return before late March.
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“Copper is ahead of schedule,” coach Todd McLellan said after practice Wednesday. “We will meet [with the medical team] and we’ll talk about when they believe and when he believes he could be available. Like, he could be ready, but we want to make sure that we get 14 games out of him, not one and then one-and-done. So there’s a lot to talk about over the next 24 to 72 hours.
“I know he’s chomping at the bit to get back and help his team out, so the sooner the better.”
Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp (18) and Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) fight for position in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday March 6, 2026.
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While the Wings were on the practice sheet inside Little Caesars Arena, Larkin was on the main sheet with one of the assistant coaches. But he is still at least a week away.
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“Nothing changes on his timeline,” McLellan said.
Michael Rasmussen (undisclosed, out since Saturday) is also out for about the same time.
Rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who also went down with an unidentified injury on Saturday, sounds most likely to play against the Montreal Canadiens.
“Brands is out there skating,” McLellan said. “I did a quick flyby with him, he said he’s feeling pretty good. Now the medical team will have to get involved with him and determine if he’s good to go or not, but that’s a real positive sign.”
Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil (76) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Dominik Shine (65) fight during the first period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, March 16, 2026.
The Wings have forwards Dominik Shine, Sheldon Dries and John Leonard up on an emergency basis to offset the injuries. With Shine and Dries being centers, Leonard is the likely player to be returned to the minors if Brandsegg-Nygård can play.
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There’s also potential for a change on defense, since rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka has not played since the Wings acquired veteran Justin Faulk at the March 6 trade deadline. The Wings already have a reserve in veteran Travis Hamonic, and Sandin-Pellikka is not benefitting as much from practicing as he would from playing 25 minutes a night with the Grand Rapids Griffins. That’s a discussion on the table for McLellan and general manager Steve Yzerman.
“We’ll talk about that over the next little bit,” McLellan said. “Steve’s at some general managers meetings, and as a 20-year-old, we’d like [Sandin-Pellikka] to be playing.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings injury update: Andrew Copp, Dylan Larkin returning?