Dylan Larkin shrugs off boos, sparks Red Wings in return from injury

Dylan Larkin made a decisive impact in his first game of the season on Tuesday night, scoring once and adding an assist in the Detroit Red Wings’ 5–3 home win over the Ottawa Senators. Returning from an upper-body injury, the captain helped deliver Detroit’s first victory of the 2026–27 campaign, even as parts of the Little Caesars Arena crowd continued to voice their displeasure.

Speaking with Detroit SportsNet’s Daniella Bruce after the game, Larkin acknowledged the emotional weight of his return but emphasized how much it meant to simply be back on the ice. He said there were “a lot of emotions,” but that he was happy to be a hockey player again and to try to help his team win, stressing how badly the Red Wings needed this result.

Summer trade request fuels tension in Hockeytown

Larkin’s performance came against the backdrop of an off-season that reshaped his standing in Detroit. In June, he reportedly asked to be traded from the only NHL team he has ever played for, providing a short list of preferred destinations and increasing pressure on then–general manager Steve Yzerman. That request led many to wonder whether the local product from Waterford, Mich., had reached the end of the line with his hometown club.

The situation evolved further when Yzerman stepped down and Shawn Horcoff was elevated to interim GM. Reports indicated that Larkin later expanded his list of acceptable landing spots, but no move has materialized so far. The Red Wings are still believed to be exploring trade options, leaving the captain’s long-term future with the Original Six franchise unsettled.

Boos at home, but production on the scoreboard

Fan frustration has been evident from the outset of the season. Before Detroit’s home opener last week, Larkin was greeted with loud boos during player introductions, and the jeers returned when he stepped onto the ice for his season debut on Tuesday. A decade without a playoff appearance, combined with the trade request and a fractured relationship with Yzerman, has clearly eroded patience in Hockeytown.

On the ice, however, Larkin offered a response. He opened his account with a first-period goal against Ottawa and later added an assist, helping Detroit snap a two-game slide after losses to the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. For a team trying to reset its trajectory and calm surrounding noise, getting its captain back on the scoresheet was a significant step.

Path forward for Larkin and the Red Wings

Since debuting in 2015–16 as a first-round pick, Larkin has been central to Detroit’s hopes of building a new core. The combination of on-ice stagnation and off-ice friction appeared to push him to request a change of scenery, but his return from injury now presents a different possibility: that winning, and his role in it, could help repair the relationship.

Reports still suggest the Red Wings are open to moving their captain at some stage. Yet every strong outing he delivers in a Detroit uniform complicates the picture, both in terms of trade value and public perception. Larkin and the Red Wings will have another chance to shape that narrative on Friday night, when they host the Seattle Kraken.