Red Wings' Lalonde: Larkin out 'at least a week' with upper-body injury
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin is expected to miss "at least a week" with an upper-body injury, head coach Derek Lalonde said Monday.
The Red Wings placed Larkin on injured reserve earlier Monday. Lalonde added that there's no specific timeframe for his return and that the team will know more about his status within the next few days.
Larkin sustained the ailment during a scary sequence in the first period of Detroit's 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Senators forward Mathieu Joseph appeared to catch Larkin in the back of the head with his glove during a netfront battle, knocking the captain into Parker Kelly and onto the ice. Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub then fell on top of Larkin.
Larkin remained motionless for several moments before being helped off the ice without the aid of a stretcher. The 27-year-old has a history of head and neck injuries, but Lalonde didn't disclose if his newest ailment is related to a concussion or any past issues.
"I talked to him last night, he seems to be in good spirits," the bench boss said. "It's a lot, it's been pretty overwhelming and heavy in a lot of ways. ... It was just good to talk to him, hear his voice."
The Red Wings also placed forwards J.T. Compher (retroactive to Dec. 5) and Klim Kostin (retroactive to Dec. 7) on injured reserve. Detroit recalled Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren, and Austin Czarnik from the AHL in corresponding moves.
Detroit is still waiting to learn the fate of veteran David Perron, who faces a potential suspension for cross-checking Zub in retaliation for Larkin's injury.
Larkin has chipped in with 11 goals and 25 points in 24 outings this campaign. He's playing out the first season of an eight-year, $69.6-million extension.
"Obviously unfortunate to lose a player of that caliber for an extended period of time," Lalonde said.
The Red Wings take on the Dallas Stars on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.