Barring any setbacks, Dylan Larkin should return to the Red Wings lineup in the next week or two.
Larkin skated in a non-contact jersey at Thursday morning's practice for the first time since being knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of the head during the Red Wings' loss to the Senators last Saturday and later being placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Larkin's IR stint runs through at least Saturday, but Derek Lalonde said the club's captain and No. 1 center could be "potentially available for us" for next Monday's game against the Ducks.
"That'd probably be a little aggressive, but it's a day-to-day thing, especially with the upper body he's dealing with, so we'll see how it goes," said Lalonde.
Larkin was "moving around fairly gingerly" at Thursday's skate, per Lalonde, but "the fact he's skating in a non-contact is a positive." The 27-year-old has endured numerous upper-body injuries the past few years, including a neck injury that left him hospitalized for two nights and largely immobile for a few weeks toward the end of the 2020-21 season.
After Larkin was lying face-down and motionless on the ice last Saturday, Lalonde said seeing him come to his feet and get helped off by teammates "made it an optimistic scenario for us." And to see him back on the ice Thursday was another reason to be "encouraged in the big picture," though Lalonde stopped short of guaranteeing Larkin's return by Christmas.
"You start dealing with some upper bodies, it wouldn't be my spot to say," he said. "Obviously we'd love him back sooner than later. The fact he's skating in a non-contact is a positive."
Assuming Larkin continues to progress in his recovery, he shouldn't be out for much longer. He has 25 points through 24 games, while the Wings are fourth in the Atlantic and sixth in the East with 34 points through 28 games entering Thursday night's game against the Hurricanes.
Lalonde had a similarly encouraging update Thursday on the Red Wings' No. 2 center J.T. Compher, who hasn't played since being injured in the team's win over the Sabres last Tuesday. Compher, who was placed on injured reserve Monday retroactive to Dec. 9, won't return Thursday night but took a step in the right direction by shedding the non-contact jersey at Thursday morning's skate.
"His first practice outside of the non-contact, so he's close," said Lalonde. "I wasn't trying to lie to anyone when he was day to day. It's just a recurring nagging, and literally it's good one day and not great the next. Hopefully he makes some strides here and we'll see how it goes for Saturday" at Philly.
In the first season of a five-year, $25.5 million contract with the Red Wings, Compher has 19 points in 24 games and, like Larkin, plays in all situations.
