Dylan Larkin took part in a Detroit Red Wings practice for the first time this fall.
His participation on Wednesday, Sept. 23, came after missing the first four days and two preseason games nursing an upper-body injury.
Larkin, who requested a trade shortly after last season ended, was not on a regular line, indicating he is still rehabbing his injury. The Wings have two exhibition games left: Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres and Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both games are at Little Caesars Arena.
Larkin had been skating on his own before joining his teammates. He arrived at camp last week and met with reporters on Sept. 17, though he didn't shed much, if any, light on his future with the team.
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Larkin would not answer when asked if his request to be traded still stands, or if there's a chance of reconciliation with his hometown NHL team, which drafted him at No. 15 in 2014.
It was a stunning bit of news, especially as Larkin was the captain (that has since been stripped from him) and has five years left on a deal with a very amenable $8.7 million salary cap hit. He also has a no-trade clause, which led him to limit his initial list of desired destinations to the Floria Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights.
Larkin plays an important role for the Wings, centering their top line and headlining a position at which they lack depth. That, combined with the term left on his contract, made a trade for future assets unviable, as it would be a setback for the team's attempts to emerge from what last spring became 10 straight years of missing the playoffs.
The matter wasn't helped by the team separating from Steve Yzerman in his role as general manager in mid-July, and then not naming an interim GM − ultimately Shawn Horcoff − until two days before camp starts. But Horcoff was emphatic he won't change course, saying "a rebuild is out of the question."
Larkin would not answer why he made the request, what triggered the timing, questions about his list of destinations, or anything else other than to say he had discussed the matter with his teammates and the coaching staff and is focused on regaining their trust.
This story will be updated.
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 joins Red Wings practice for first time since trade request
