Tonight the Wings open at home against the New York Rangers, and if this feels less like a celebration and more like a wake, well, we've earned the gloom. Dylan Larkin has asked out — he won't play tonight, and he won't play Sunday against Anaheim either. Our captain wants the door. And look at how we got here: Steve Yzerman is gone, a two-month search turned up no permanent replacement, Patrick Kane left, and Simon Edvinsson is back in Sweden stuck in a contract dispute. That is a lot of hard news stacked on one October night. There are quieter stories to hang onto. The Grand Rapids Griffins launch their 31st season tonight on the road against the Cleveland Monsters, and former Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi made his NHL debut Thursday for the Devils, logging just over eight minutes in a 3-2 win over Philadelphia. The kids are moving on. We're the ones left watching.
Feel free to follow the link below to keep tabs on the Red Wings as this season — and this off-season — keeps unfolding.
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