DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings will open the 2019-20 season on Saturday night in Nashville.
Star forward Dylan Larkin was injured when he took a spill into the boards earlier this week during practice. It was being called an undisclosed upper-body injury.
However, Larkin was back on the ice Thursday wearing an orange non-contact jersey during practice. He said that jersey was precautionary, his tests were negative for serious injury, and he is ready to play Saturday.
"I feel great today. I think the orange jersey is just precautionary and I felt great ... I'll be in the game for sure on Saturday. I feel great, nothing to hold me back," he said.
The Red Wings are not predicted to make the playoffs this season. They lost their first seven games at the start of last season, and will want a better start this year.
Coach Jeff Blashill said they can't be counted out.
"Nobody is that much better than anybody else in this league. I've said that 100 times and it's absolutely 100 percent true," said Blashill. "So you just got to find ways to win hockey games, keep clawing out hockey games."
The team is focused on the Nashville Predators for now, the coach said.