The Jets will dress the same lineup they used in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday when they face the Red Wings. That means Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti are set to stay together on the first line, with no late shuffle after the weekend reset.
That continuity is the story because the game has become a quick check on health as much as form. Gabriel Vilardi missed practice Saturday for maintenance, while the Jets also listed Elias Salomonsson, Walker Duehr and Garrett Brown as injured. On the other side, the Red Wings listed Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond on their first line, a reminder that both benches are trying to sort out a lineup under injury pressure before puck drop.
There is, though, one detail that does not fit neatly into the injury list. Dylan Larkin was a limited participant during the morning skate and took a few shifts on the second line and first power-play unit, yet he is still listed as injured. Todd McLellan said he hopes Larkin could play against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, which leaves the captain in the middle ground between active movement and actual availability. That is the difference here: skating a few shifts can show progress, but it is not the same as being cleared to play, and the morning session did not erase the injury status.
Marco Kasper is the clearest absence for the Red Wings. He finished Friday’s 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers and was undergoing evaluation Saturday, but he will not play against the Jets. The Jets already know their own lineup does not need reworking, so the practical question is whether Detroit can absorb one more gap if Larkin is still not ready to return in full. For now, the answer for this matchup is straightforward: Winnipeg stays put, Detroit has one key forward out, and Larkin’s next real target is Tuesday rather than this game.
