Notebook: Blashill discusses Larkin's surgery, Vrana's contributions

Injuries are inevitable in the NHL, but that doesn't make it any easier when you lose the leader in the dressing room.

On Monday, the Detroit Red Wings announced captain Dylan Larkin had successful core muscle surgery and will miss the remainder of the regular season. The Waterford, Mich., native's recovery time is expected to be eight to 10 weeks.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Larkin's decision to undergo surgery was tough, but also the right one.
"He's kind of had this lingering injury, which was why he wasn't practicing," Blashill said. "I think early, there was pain management and then at some point, it just became where it just felt like the right thing for Dylan. I don't want to speak for him, but it felt like the right thing to do for him to have it done."

Blashill added that Larkin could have shut it down earlier, but instead chose to try making it through his seventh season.
"He tried to grind through as long as he could," Blashill said. "Now hopefully, he can get himself healthy and the expectation is that you miss some training but ultimately, he'll have plenty of time for that and should be ready to go next year."
Larkin was an NHL All-Star, and led Detroit with 31 goals and 69 points in 71 games before undergoing surgery.
"Dylan is going to maximize the time he has to train," Blashill said. "He's gonna come into camp in great shape and he's gonna have gotten better at things. That's just who he is as a person. He'll be healthy."

Vrana's contributions hard to ignore

Ever since Jakub Vrana first donned the Winged Wheel, his offensive contributions have been hard to ignore.
After being acquired at the trade deadline last season, Vrana scored eight goals and added three assists in just 11 games. Though he was sidelined for roughly six months because of a shoulder injury to start the 2021-22 campaign, the 26-year-old has picked up right where he left off since returning for the Wings on March 8.
Through 21 games this season, Vrana has scored 12 goals and added five assists. He scored twice against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, tying former Red Wings forward Danny Grant for fewest games (32) in franchise history to reach the 20-goal plateau.

"He's as good a goal-scorer as I've been around," Blashill said. "And I've been around some great, great players."
Vrana currently boasts four multi-goal games this season, tying the career-high mark he set in 2019-20 as a member of the Washington Capitals. And with five games remaining this season, he has a chance to set a new personal milestone.
"I'm trying to create offense here as much as possible to give myself and give the team a chance to win," Vrana said. "First things first, there are things we have to do to get to those chances."

Pair of Red Wings prospects named SHL Rookie of the Year finalists

The Swedish Hockey League announced Sunday that Red Wings prospects Simon Edvinsson of Frölunda HC and Pontus Andreasson of Luleå were selected as two of the three finalists for the SHL Rookie of the Year award. The third finalist is Linus Karlsson of Skellefteå.
Edvinsson, Detroit's sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, had two goals and 17 assists in 44 games this season, ranking fourth among rookies in scoring. His 19:42 average ice time per game led all first-year skaters.
Andreasson, who signed an entry-level contract with the Wings earlier this month, finished second among rookies with 18 goals and collected 20 helpers in 52 games this season.
The winner will be announced during the SHL Awards on May 16.