In his introductory press conference, interim General Manager Shawn Horcoff announced today that former captain Dylan Larkin is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.
Larkin, per Horcoff, will be at training camp rehabbing his injury, but won't be able to participate in training camp exercises.
This news comes quickly following statements from both the Red Wings and Larkin where it was revealed Larkin has been stripped of his captaincy.
With Larkin out for the foreseeable future, the Red Wings will have to do a little bit of improvising during training camp and the preseason. Where some may see this as a frustration, others should look at it as opportunity.
Larkin's injury offers extended audition for center
While it's unclear how long the injury can last - and what the injury entails - this can become addition by subtraction for the Red Wings. Without Larkin on the ice, the Red Wings can get a much better idea of what the team will look like once he's traded.
On one hand, it might be a bit of a nightmare without Larkin. But, on the other, it's a chance for a young player to seize the reins.
Nate Danielson is entering a make or break campaign where it's imperative he makes the NHL. Larkin's absence should allow him to slot in somewhere higher in the lineup to see what he can do. Marco Kasper had a tough sophomore slump, but if his underlying numbers are any indication, he's got a chance to be a serious bounce-back candidate.
The dark horse candidate that might just steal the show, though, is newly-acquired Theo Rochette.
Rochette turned heads during the prospect tournament, taking a dominant role on the top-six through three games. Rochette finished last season in the top-ten of scorers in the Swiss League. While he appears to be a great candidate for the top line in Grand Rapids, there's also a strong chance he can break through at the NHL level. At 24 years of age, Rochette hasn't hit his prime yet. He's had plenty of time throughout a multitude of leagues and should be a name to monitor moving forward.
Larkin's trade timetable unclear
During the press conference, Horcoff emphasized that he would trade Larkin "when the time was right". When that "right time" is remains unclear. In fact, some of Horcoff's comments seem to indicate he won't have that ultimate authority on when Larkin is traded.
The real wrench in this whole situation is the upper-body injury. Per Horcoff, the injury was sustained during training and will keep him out through most of camp. He couldn't provide an update on whether or not Larkin would be available for Opening Night. Thus, we're left to speculate on when he will be available.
Either way, it sounds like Larkin will at least be at training camp tomorrow. Whether that's as a slowly recovering specter or a leader in the locker room remains to be seen. But at least he'll be there.
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