MLive’s Ansar Khan has written an article discussing Dylan Larkin’s recovery from offseason core muscle surgery, as well as his take on his contract negotiations with the Red Wings:
“I think the timing of the surgery was a difficult decision, but it was something we kind of mapped out where I could have a full summer,” Larkin said Thursday after the first day of training camp in Traverse City. “I was back in the gym right away. I was back on the ice eight weeks after. It’s just a great feeling not skating around with pain.”
He will feel even better after he signs a long-term extension. Larkin is entering the final year of a five-year, $30.5 million deal he signed in 2018 ($6.1 million cap hit). He said there is nothing to report on that front.
“I think it’s very important to get it done before next season so I can play hockey,” Larkin said, jokingly. “I don’t see myself playing anywhere else. It’s great to be back on the ice, great to be back in Traverse City with the guys so I can focus on our team.”
Not having an extension in place when the season starts won’t be a distraction for him.
“You get so caught up in the daily grind, the games, practices, recovery and preparation for the next game,” Larkin said. “Something I take very seriously is how I recover, how I prepare. It’s pretty much all I do all season. I plan on sticking to that and playing for the fans and my teammates.”
