The Red Wings continue to push forward with Dylan Larkin on their roster. He continues to try to make the best of a bad situation.
The team’s former captain issued a trade request this summer that hangs over the organization, and there’s no indication that he’s rescinded it. Larkin still wants out. In the meantime, the Red Wings are hoping that he’s all-in.
Asked Tuesday for an update on Larkin after Detroit signed star forward Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year, $91 million extension, interim GM Shawn Horcoff said that Larkin is “status quo.” Larkin missed the first two games of the season with an upper-body injury he suffered shortly before camp, but has played in the last four games, with one goal and one assist.
“With Dylan, a few things,” said Horcoff. “He’s had a tough month. Obviously there’s a lot going on with Dylan, but I think on top of it, the injury probably came at a really inopportune time for him. I think it’s going to take some time, and he’s working back through that, and it’s only going to get easier for him as things go on here and he starts to find his game and his legs a little bit more. It hasn’t been easy for him.”
Horcoff went on to “give Dylan a lot of credit for the way he’s handled” an uncomfortable situation, including facing a chorus of boos at Little Caesars Arena in his season debut and responding with a goal and an assist in the Red Wings’ only win of the year. The boos have petered out in two home games since.
“He’s got the full support of management and his teammates and the coaching staff in there, and he’s come back and really came to play right off the bat. And I think the fans have recognized that,” Horcoff said. “Obviously there were some tough times for him, I would say, early, but through his effort and through his work and obviously the acknowledgement of it being a difficult situation and Dylan, to his own word, manning up to it, I think you’re starting to see a little bit of reaction from the fans in terms of understanding that, listen, Dylan’s here and he’s doing the best to play his best out there for the Red Wings.”
