Red Wings Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines- Faulk Acquistion, Injuries & More – The Hockey Writers – Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings continue to find themselves in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after taking five points in four games this past week (March 2- March 8). They head into this week (March 9- March 15) looking to build on their 3-0 victory on March 8 against the New Jersey Devils. They will have to do so with a few injury question marks hanging over them.

Larkin & Gibson Injuries

The Red Wings could end up being without both their captain and their starting netminder for this week. Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury against the Florida Panthers on March 6 and is considered day-to-day by head coach Todd McLellan. The hope is that Larkin could hit the ice at some point during the three games this week, as he is traveling with the team, but if not, the rest of the lineup will need to step their games up and fill the void left by their captain. It will be interesting to see how much of a chance a player like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard gets in the lineup with Larkin out, as he has had a strong season for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Goaltender John Gibson was injured when he was run into toward the end of the second period against the Devils and was pulled for the second time in the last week. He has been one of the most consistent goaltenders in the entire NHL since December. McLellan seems to think Gibson will be alright and won’t miss much time, but if he does, it could be a massive loss for the Red Wings. Cam Talbot could be called upon, even if the injury is not something long-term, to give Gibson a rest. Talbot has been strong when called upon lately for the Red Wings.

The possibility of missing Gibson also could open the door for one of the league’s best goaltending prospects, Sebastian Cossa, to get some time in the NHL after being on a tear this season in the AHL with the Griffins.

Faulk Addition to the Blue Line

Red Wings fans have been wanting to see general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman make a big move at the trade deadline the past couple of seasons, and he did that this year with the addition of defenseman Justin Faulk. Yzerman acquired Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for a 2026 first-round and third-round pick, defenseman Justin Holl, and prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov.

The addition of Faulk should make an impact at both ends of the ice, as he has been strong offensively (32 points), while also being steady in his own end of the ice defensively. He filled a top-four spot in his first game with the Red Wings and should help solidify the backend of the ice as the organization looks to push for a playoff spot.

Even Strength Play Perking Up

If you have followed the Red Wings throughout the season, you know that the team’s five-on-five offense has struggled, while the power play has been the shining spot. This past week, the five-on-five offense looked better, accounting for eight of the 11 goals they scored. While this is a welcome sign, the other end of the spectrum is that the power play has had issues since returning from the Olympic break.

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Obviously, no power play unit is going to be perfect and going 100%, but having a consistent balance between the goal-scoring in even-strength and special teams will be key to winning key games as the regular season gets to the home stretch. Alex DeBrincat has been strong all-around, but seeing the power play hit its stride would have a major impact against three strong opponents this week (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars).

Red Wings Schedule March 9- March 15