Dylan Larkin was booed every time he touched the puck in his season debut, then skated out as first star of the Red Wings' win.
Frank Seravalli compared the night to October in Alberta, three seasons in one game. The boos turned to cheers when Larkin's goal gave Detroit the lead, and to mostly applause by the end.
"It felt good to be a hockey player again," he said after a goal and an assist in the 5-3 win over Ottawa.
That's what makes this so painful for Detroit fans. Larkin grew up a Wings fan and played almost all his hockey within an hour of the city, from minor hockey to the University of Michigan.
Behind the scenes, something shifted. Sources told Seravalli that Detroit is now open to a futures-based package for Simon Edvinsson, built around prospects and draft picks.
That's a departure from the Red Wings' steady ask for young, NHL-ready talent. It has teams wondering whether Detroit is quietly accepting that the rebuild needs to be rebuilt.
Chris Ilitch and Shawn Horcoff face the rebuild nobody wanted to admit
Seravalli noted Detroit has missed the playoffs 10 straight years, even with a core of Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat.
If Edvinsson leaves and Larkin follows, that core starts to look very different. DeBrincat, a pending UFA, would be next in line for questions.
Raymond, 24, carries an $8,075,000 cap hit, and Seider, 25, sits at $8,550,000. They'd be the foundation of whatever comes next.
Detroit should rebuild the rebuild. A decade without playoffs is enough evidence that the current path isn't working, and Chris Ilitch should give Shawn Horcoff permission to say so out loud.
It's like a family reunion where half the room is mad at you and the other half saved you a plate.
There's also a cap wrinkle. Because Edvinsson is still unsigned, the first year of a new deal would carry a slightly higher cap hit, more of a problem for an acquiring team than for Detroit.
Larkin, 30, carries an $8,700,000 cap hit. The Red Wings host Seattle on Friday, and the crowd's next reaction is anyone's guess.
Boos, cheers and applause in one night. The fans can't decide how they feel, and right now, neither can the organization.
Should the Red Wings start a full rebuild this season?
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