Red Wings coach Todd McLellan expressed some concern to MLive’s Ansar Khan regarding the possibility that Simon Edvinsson and/or Dylan Larkin may not be able to get into any exhibition games due to contractual issues and an upper-body injury, respectively:
“If you don’t play in a preseason game, that means you got to play in a regular season game and it gets going obviously a lot faster and more intense then,” coach Todd McLellan said. “So, if we can get them in one based on health and get them up and running, then we’re sure going to try. If not, then it’s regular season and see what we get.”
The Red Wings previously played eight exhibition games. That changed because the NHL expanded the regular season to 84 games.
Edvinsson at least has been skating.
“He’s been able to practice; fit, healthy training in the weight room and stuff like that,” McLellan said. “It’s not the same as getting the reps in exhibition season, but it is what it is. Let’s hope that everybody can get their business done and we can get them back quickly.”
Continued (paywall); getting one’s legs underneath yourself during training camp is pretty damn important for every player, as is participating in an exhibition game or two…
But you go with the runway you’re given, and both Edvinsson and Larkin may simply have to ramp themselves up to game shape over the course of a couple of regular season games.
