Montreal — If the Red Wings were to miss forwards Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi the past few seasons, it would be a devastating blow to the lineup.
And it does hurt, with coach Jeff Blashill confirming after Tuesday's morning skate that Larkin would be unavailable for "personal reasons" and Bertuzzi being unavailable in Canada because of his unvaccinated status.
But unlike past seasons, the Wings are better prepared for situations where key offensive players are out of the lineup.
"We have improved our depth," Blashill said. "We've worked hard as a coaching staff to make sure we're getting ice time to other lines and the other lines have responded.