Dylan Larkin returned to the Detroit Red Wings lineup last Tuesday night and for one game, everything seemed a little better.
Boos turned into cheers but unfortunately, one game didn't solve a decade's worth of problems. Larkin scored a goal and added an assist in the Red Wings' 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators, providing the Red Wings with their first win of the season.
It was exactly the type of performance the Red Wings needed from its former captain. It also served as a reminder of just how much the organization continues to depend on him.
Larkin's return came under circumstances few could have imagined a year ago. The Michigan native requested a trade during the offseason, eventually relinquishing the captaincy he'd held since 2021. An upper-body injury then forced him to miss Detroit's first two games of the season.
When he finally returned against the Senators, the reception wasn't entirely one of Luke Skywalker when he returned to the Ewok village after fighting his father on the Death Star. Some fans booed while others cheered. Larkin responded the best way he knew how and that was lighting the lamp.
His first-period goal gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead, temporarily turning those boos into cheers and applause. Larkin later assisted on Viktor Arvidsson's power-play goal, helping the Red Wings build a lead they wouldn't lose.
For a player whose relationship with the organization has become complicated, it was an encouraging beginning. But the optimism didn't last long. The Red Wings followed Tuesday's victory with a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Friday before being shut out in a 1-0 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Two games, three goals and one point in the standings. And another reminder that the Red Wings have considerably more problems than whether Larkin wants to remain in Detroit. The organization has spent years attempting to build a franchise that was once the scariest in the league and also made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons.
Larkin was part of the final year of that remarkable run in 2015-16 and he hasn't experienced postseason hockey since. That's an extraordinary stretch for a player who has spent his entire NHL career with the organization. It also helps explain why the offseason became so uncomfortable.
Larkin is 30-years-old and he already has played more than decade in Detroit, establishing himself as one of the team's most dependable offensive players. Meanwhile, the Red Wings are searching for consistency.
Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat provide legitimate scoring threats. Arvidsson has contributed early, while younger players continue working toward becoming established regulars. The talent isn't nonexistent but the results just haven't been good enough.
The Red Wings can't expect Larkin to return from an injury, put aside an uncertain future and immediately transform a struggling team into a playoff contender. That's not realistic and it's certainly not fair to the rest of the roster.
The Red Wings need more consistent scoring throughout the lineup. They also need their established players to produce, their younger players to develop and their defense to provide enough support to make those contributions matter. Larkin can help with all of that but he can't do it alone.
His return against Ottawa demonstrated that he remains capable of making a difference. The following two games demonstrated why the Red Wings still have so much work ahead. Dylan Larkin is back, and now the Red Wings need to give him a reason to believe things will finally be different.
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