Dylan Larkin will miss his fourth and final opportunity to appear with the Detroit Red Wings in the preseason, but that doesn't overshadow the battle for roles.
The Wings take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Little Caesars Arena, the final exhibition tilt before readying for the season opener on Oct. 2 against the New York Rangers. Larkin participated in Friday's practice but was not part of a regular line, and coach Todd McLellan said he "won't play."
The Wings project to carry 13 forwards when rosters have to be pared to 23 by Monday's 5 p.m. deadline, and Friday's practice was a good indication of who has made the cut.
As with the defense, where Moritz
Seider, Simon Edvinsson (pending a new contract), Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk and Albert Johansson all have spots locked up, there's several givens among the forwards: Larkin (pending his injury status) Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp, Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper, Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie, J.T. Compher, and newcomer Keegan Kolesar. Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are also above the cutline.
Carter Mazur, whose injuries have hampered his progress, was not with the main group Friday, indicating the team may decide it can risk putting him on waivers to send to the minors. (The same goes for defense prospect William Wallinder, who, like Mazur, is no longer waiver exempt.)
Michael Rasmussen and Mason Appleton are both coming off subpar seasons, the kind that can prompt a team to put a veteran on waivers, but Appleton, especially, has had a solid showing in camp, playing with energy and picking up an assist in two appearances.
He admitted he arrived feeling he had something to prove as he goes into the second and final year of his contract.
"For sure," he said. "A player like me has to find that edge and find that chip and play with that every game and every day. And I feel like I've been bringing that and just going to keep that mindset and keep building. I think I've had a good camp. I like how I feel.
"I didn't love parts of the back half of my year, and I think it kind of resembled our team's game, as well. So you go into a summer kind of pissed off, and the summer feels long, and you dwell on it for a little bit, and then you turn the page. You look at yourself in the mirror and what you've got to do, and you've got to be better for this team and for yourself. That's what I did, and I came to camp with a good jump and very motivated."
Under the collective bargaining agreement, a veteran player with 100 or more career NHL games can play a maximum of two preseason exhibition games, so Appleton won't play Saturday. But Rasmussen, another bottom-six forward coming off a disappointing season, is eligible to play against the Blue Jackets. The likes of Danielson, Brandsegg-Nygård and Mazur are all likely to play.
"We've talked about the business part of it," McLellan said. "We talked about the roster size an how we want to put it together. Those decisions will be made after the game tomorrow and Sunday so that we can submit on Monday, like all the other teams in the league, what we're going to start with.
"The veterans that are here and were here last year, they have a spot until somebody takes that spot. And sure, there's debate − why keep that guy, why keep this guy? I've watched, say, App, for example − I think he's played two games exactly the way we want him to play. And that's a real good thing for him and for us. If he, or anybody else, can't do it, well, then we have to find it somewhere. And if that's from within, great. If not, then we'll have to go out and get it."
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dylan Larkin out for Red Wings preseason finale, so here's who is battling for jobs
