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After getting roughed up by Devils, Larkin (upper body) to miss first game of the year

Teemu Pulkkinen, Dylan Larkin

Teemu Pulkkinen, Dylan Larkin

AP

No Dylan Larkin for Detroit tonight as it opens a three-game road swing in Nashville.

Larkin, the prized rookie phenom that’s firmly in the running for the Calder Trophy, is out with an upper-body injury, head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed on Saturday.

This development comes just days after Blashill took issues with New Jersey’s treatment of Larkin during the Devils’ 4-3 win on Tuesday, a game in which Larkin missed time following a hit from defenseman John Moore.

Blashill also took issue with how the referees handled the incident (Moore wasn’t penalized on the play).

“I think referees throughout the league have to know that young stars in the league, when they get targeted, they’ve got to make sure they do a good job of calling penalties, even if they’re close,” Blashill said, per MLive. “We don’t want our young stars in the league getting targeted and we don’t want lots of fighting anymore, so we better make sure we look after them a little bit that way.

“So if it’s close, let’s make sure we look after them.”

Larkin, 19, is enjoying a terrific first year in the NHL. He leads the Red Wings in goals, with 13, and sits second on the team in points, with 24 in 34 games.

Tomas Nosek, a 23-year-old Czech forward, has been called up from AHL Grand Rapids to take Larkin’s spot in the lineup.