Dylan Larkin Misses Detroit's Opener and Andrew Copp Centers Raymond and DeBrincat Against the Rangers
By Verdexed NHL Desk
The Detroit Red Wings open their season Friday night without their captain. Head coach Todd McLellan ruled Dylan Larkin out of the home opener against the New York Rangers and Sunday's game against the Winnipeg Jets with an upper-body injury that has bothered him since the start of training camp. Detroit lists Larkin as day to day and hopes to have him back Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.
On the other side, the Rangers arrive after a 3-0 season-opening loss to Boston, with backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve and Igor Shesterkin confirmed to start.
Larkin's unusual autumn
Larkin missed all four of Detroit's exhibition games, and his absence comes against an unusual backdrop. He asked out of Detroit this offseason and reported to camp anyway, while the trade request sat unresolved amid the club's front-office transition. Detroit has framed the current issue purely as an injury, and nothing suggests otherwise, but the combination keeps his fantasy outlook murky.
If the timeline holds, Larkin misses two games and returns next week. Fantasy managers should not overreact to a two-game absence, but they should note that an injury that kept him out of the entire preseason could linger.
The new top line
McLellan said the top center job belongs to Andrew Copp for now. Copp skated in practice between Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, Detroit's two most dangerous wingers.
Detroit's projected opening lines also left out defenseman Simon Edvinsson, another change to monitor before puck drop.
The top-line promotion is a significant opportunity for Copp, who has spent most of his Detroit tenure as a middle-six center. Playing with Raymond and DeBrincat should come with first power-play time as well, and that combination can turn a depth center into a useful short-term fantasy piece.
Here is how the goaltending and key absences shape up for Friday, based on practice reports and team announcements.
| Role | Red Wings | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| Starting goalie | John Gibson (projected) | Igor Shesterkin (confirmed) |
| Backup goalie | Daniil Tarasov (projected) | Dylan Garand (recalled) |
| Key absence | Dylan Larkin, upper body | Joonas Korpisalo, IR |
Rangers goaltending
Korpisalo dressed as Shesterkin's backup on Tuesday but was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body injury, and he is considered week to week. The Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from their AHL affiliate in Hartford to back up Shesterkin.
That matters for fantasy managers in two ways. First, Shesterkin's workload goes up in the short term, which helps his counting stats as long as he stays healthy. Second, any back-to-back sets on the Rangers' early schedule could force Garand into a start, and that is a matchup to target with opposing skaters.
Fantasy fallout
Andrew Copp is a short-term add in deep leagues. A top-line role with Raymond and DeBrincat is the best opportunity he has had in years. It may only last two games, but in daily leagues and DFS, he is a value play.
Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat remain must-starts. Losing Larkin hurts their ceiling a bit, but both are productive regardless of their center, and both should see top power-play minutes.
Dylan Larkin should be held. Two missed games is not a reason to drop him. If your league has an IR slot and he qualifies, use it.
John Gibson is a matchup-dependent starter. He went 29-22-4 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .901 save percentage last season. Against a Rangers team that was shut out in its opener, he is a reasonable streaming option tonight.
Igor Shesterkin is an every-night start, now with a bigger workload while Korpisalo is out.
Betting angle
The Rangers were blanked in their opener and now face a Detroit team missing its top center. Both teams have question marks, and the market should reflect Larkin's absence, which weakens Detroit's center depth and penalty kill.
Shesterkin is the biggest edge in this game. An elite goaltender against a short-handed opponent is often enough to tilt a game, especially early in the season before offenses find rhythm. The under has appeal given the Rangers' scoreless opener and Detroit's lineup shuffle.
The Verdexed model take
Verdexed's model updates for starting goalies and key absences each day. For its view on Rangers at Red Wings and the rest of Friday's slate, check the NHL predictions page and the daily picks piece at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-10-02.
What's next
Detroit hosts Winnipeg on Sunday, also without Larkin, before his targeted return Tuesday against Ottawa. The Rangers will watch Korpisalo's recovery closely. For fantasy managers, the action items are simple: start Shesterkin, start Raymond and DeBrincat, consider Copp as a short-term value play, and hold Larkin through what should be a brief absence.