Sometimes, you have to make lemonade out of the lemons life gives you. In the case of the Detroit Red Wings, the only way out of this Dylan Larkin injury is through. Last week, Larkin sustained a grisly injury against the Florida Panthers and did not return for the game. Fortunately, head coach Todd McLellan believes the injury shouldn't be a long-term one.
Having said that, the Red Wings will still need to contend without Larkin for at least a game or two. The Red Wings embarked on a road trip last night and take on four teams over the next eight days. Tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils will be the first such test. Still, despite this adversity, opportunity is in abundance for young players in need of major minutes.
It's time for the youth movement to step it up.
Marco Kasper's late season rally
During the first half of the season, forward Marco Kasper appeared cursed. His scoring attempts, no matter how close they got, refused to manifest into anything more than just a handful of points. It's been a tough season for the Austrian center. Things appear to be turning around during this later half, however, with Kasper putting together three points over his last seven games.
10 of his 15 points on the season have come since the start of 2026. While not particularly impressive, these numbers suggest Kasper is adjusting to the rigor of a full NHL season. This week, he'll have an opportunity to show his stuff as the team's second line center. There's a strong chance that all this adversity manifests itself into effective play, given Kasper's recent chemistry with fellow forward Emmitt Finnie.
It's up to Kasper to use this opportunity effectively. Even if it doesn't manifest into points, showing that he's got what it takes in a top-six role will go a long, long way. The good news is that Kasper will have a little extra help during this leg of the season.
Red Wings call up promising forward
Yesterday, the Red Wings called up forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who has exploded in the AHL over the last few weeks. While Brandsegg-Nygard has already played nine NHL games this season, this is his oppotunity to show general manager Steve Yzerman that he's capable of taking on a full-time NHL role moving forward. Should he play his tenth game, he'll burn the first year of his entry-level contract, thus making him eligible for an extension in two years as opposed to three.
Contract negotiations following a rebuild involve a lot of things going right at the same time. You have to make sure you're able to ice a competitive roster while still remaining salary cap compliant. A multitude of players will be up for extensions next season, including Simon Edvinsson, Amadeus Lombardi and Carter Mazur. Two seasons from now, Yzerman will need to extend Marco Kasper and Alex DeBrincat, the latter of whom will be up for a sizable extension.
It might be more prudent in the long run to sit Brandsegg-Nygard and only play him in case of emergency. But, if he's able to show he's got what it takes, it seems foolish to keep him off the ice. This is the time for Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to show he's got what it takes to not only make the roster, but become a difference-maker.