Notes: Larkin set to return versus Islanders

DETROIT --It has been a difficult couple of weeks for Dylan Larkin.
After getting tangled up with an opponent, the Red Wings' best player started to experience pain and stiffness in his neck. He tried to play through it but it wasn't getting any better.

"I thought I was hurting the team, I wasn't able to turn my head, you know, full range of motion. I decided to take some time off and get it looked at further," Larkin said after Friday's practice at the BELFOR Training Center. "I had to go to New York to see a specialist and luckily it was nothing major or nothing that needed more attention or hold me back down the road, so lucky for that and now feeling 100 percent, feeling ready to play."
After missing Detroit's last five games, Larkin proclaimed he's ready to go for Saturday's 1 p.m. tilt against the New York Islanders at Little Caesars Arena.
But the 22-year-old star did admit he was concerned about his injury.
"When you hear about your neck, it's pretty sensitive and a pretty serious part of your body, so when you're talking about a neck injury, you know, outside of hockey, just in life, some serious things could happen," Larkin said. "So, there's some big words thrown around, a lot of doctor talk, I guess, with the diagnoses I decided to see a specialist, that was the best thing I did to get some clarity and confidence that it won't get worse."
Larkin appeared relieved to be back on the ice practicing with his teammates and indicated he felt no ill effects from the injury during the Wings spirited practice.
"The biggest thing from the trainers, coaches and talking with other people is there's really no need to rush back until I feel 100 percent," Larkin said. "So (at) this point in the season with a neck injury that could be worse, I wouldn't rush right back in unless I felt 100 percent. I don't feel like I'm rushing, it's been pretty tough watching this past week sitting out, so I want to be out there, I feel 100 percent, I feel ready to help this team out.
"I always thought I would be back, it just needed time, it's unfortunate timing. it's an unfortunate injury. Any time you miss games, it's not great and for a guy like me, nobody likes sitting out and watching. I want to be out there, it just needed time to heal."

During his five-game hiatus, the Red Wings lost four games, with their only victory coming against the Rangers, 3-2, in a shootout on March 7.
"Like I said, it's been real tough watching, you want to be out there helping the team. I'm just excited to do that and be back with the guys and feel like I'm part of the team again," Larkin said. "We need it (a win) bad. We just need to find a way to get that win. We've said it a couple of times when we've gone through winless droughts, but we need one bad right now.
"There's young guys coming in, there's young guys coming up. Fil Zadina coming in and I thought he played well and there's going to be more guys coming in, so we need to find a way as young players to learn how to win together."
In 65 games, Larkin leads the Red Wings in goals with 27, assists with 35 and in points with 62. He also leads the Wings in ice time, averaging 21:51 per game and he's winning 55 percent of his face-offs.

KUFFNER WILL PLAY VERSUS ISLES:After Friday's practice, recently signed college free agent Ryan Kuffner was unsure if he'd make his NHL debut Saturday afternoon against the Islanders.
But with alternate captain Justin Abdelkader missing practice while nursing a bruise from blocking a shot in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Tampa, Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told reporters Kuffner will replace Abdelkader in Saturday's lineup.
Kuffner skated on a line with Frans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek and he also practiced on the second power-play unit with Michael Rasmussen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Niklas Kronwall and Nielsen.
He played the half-wall on the PP, which is a position he's familiar with from his college days at Princeton.
"I played a similar spot there and down low (at Princeton)," Kuffner said. "I think we tried to work it around but for the most part I was around there (half-wall). Looking for the one-timer and just trying to get open for the guys. Just try to attack as much as possible."
Blashill has not given Kuffner a whole bunch of coach speak as he is on the eve of playing his first NHL game
"I don't have an expectation level with either of these young guys (Kuffner and Taro Hirose) that we're gonna play, because I haven't seen them play enough," Blashill said. "It's impossible for me to say. I think you measure putting guys in opportunities to succeed versus giving them too much, too soon. I'd like them to earn it enough but yet be in position where they're gonna succeed.
"Ultimately if Kuffner's gonna make our team better, he's gonna be a guy who's gonna score, who's gonna be a power-play type guy. We've got other guys who can penalty kill and be depth guys and stuff like that. So, let's put him in that position in see what he does. And it will be the same thing with Taro."
After his first practice as a Wing, Kuffner, an affable young man couldn't contain his enthusiasm.
"It was awesome. I think the biggest thing was just trying to get comfortable. Even in the laps, before even practice started, just trying to get the hands going. I think that's the biggest thing," he said. "At the end of the day it's just hockey. You're just getting thrown into the corners and up the ice. I've done it a million times the last 22 years. I think it's just about getting everything warm and just getting into the right mindset to just try to have fun and work hard."
Larkin's cousin, Adam, played against Kuffner when he was playing for Yale, so Larkin made a call to Adam to get the lowdown on Kuffner.
"I talked to my cousin about him and he said, 'he's a skilled player that's plays hard.,'" Larkin said. "He has good wheels and has good hands, so we'll see what he can do.
"It's pretty valuable for them (Kuffner and Hirose) to be here and see what it's all about playing in the NHL. There's a lot of young guys here right now, there's a lot of older veterans that have taken me under their wing and I expect them to do the same (with Hirose and Kuffner).
"We're here for them to see and try and set a good example and you know what? They're nice guys, they're real smart guys and I think they'll be all eyes and ears and take as much information as they can over their summers and training and be ready for next year and I wish I had this opportunity coming out of college and going into a training camp. They seem like good players, good guys, we're happy to have them."

HIROSE FIRED UP FOR THE BIG APPLE: Unlike Kuffner, Detroit's other college free agent signee, Hirose was a little less amped up after his first practice as a Red Wing.
Perhaps it's because the former Michigan State standout has played as a Spartan at Little Caesars Arena and also because Hirose was a participant in the Red Wings' development camp at the BELFOR Training Center last June.
But make no mistake, he's happy to be a Red Wing and his familiarity with the organization is why Hirose chose to sign with Detroit.
"Playing at Michigan State, you've sort of been around the Red Wings," Hirose said. "We've played in the arena a couple times. You see the building and the organization. Growing up in Calgary was a big thing, (Pavel) Datsyuk was definitely one of my favorite players, so it's just a great organization to be a part of."
He also saw opportunity with the Red Wings and has been on the Wings' radar since Detroit's development camp last summer.
"Wherever you go there's going to be competition, but this was sort of a right fit for my game," Hirose said. "I definitely thought I had a good (development) camp and they said they were going to continue to watch me, so I think just being able to go to development camp sort of added a comfortability to it, knowing the staff and coaches, was a big part of my decision."
Shawn Horcoff, the Wings director of player development and Jiri Fischer, Detroit's director of player evaluation, kept in contact with Hirose during the season.
"Horcoff and Fischer were the two guys I talked to the most," he said. "Obviously, Horc being a Spartan guy, he was watching us constantly, so that was definitely nice."
When asked to describe his game, Hirose was direct and succinct.
"I'm sort of a cerebral players that likes to have the puck on his stick. Also sort of plays away from the puck," Hirose said. "The big thing for me is trying to help my teammates be better and make them better players every time we're on the ice."
Hirose will have to wait until Tuesday to make his NHL debut against the Rangers in New York, which isn't a bad way to break into the league.
"Obviously, making your NHL debut at Madison Square Garden isn't the worst thing in the world," Hirose said. "Definitely excited and happy to get one in."