Jamie Oleksiak was drafted out of the NCAA.
Edit: math is difficult. But you are correct, it is uncommon. Not many kids play one year of university and bail AND, are deemed ready for Pro hockey.
Prospect Info: 15th overall — C Dylan Larkin: Larkin signs 3 year entry deal
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Jamie Oleksiak was drafted out of the NCAA.
Edit: math is difficult. But you are correct, it is uncommon. Not many kids play one year of university and bail AND, are deemed ready for Pro hockey.
InjuredChoker
Registered User
Jonathan Toews also.
General point stands though -- Larkin's a pretty good prospect.
Yea there's quite a few good ones that have come out. He was in a group with about one bust with his PPG average and most of the others are now elite players in the NHL.
detredWINgs
Registered User
Larkin is such a surreal prospect for me. I'm so used to observing prospects who are high on skill but need to flesh out their overall game and fill out their frames. Larkin is essentially the reverse, but already plays at such a high level that the fleshing out of his skill could mean top six - nay, first line - talent. I was not high on him when we drafted him, but I'm really starting to believe that he could be a Kesler/Bergeron/Toews type of player instead of a Vermette/Legwand/Stajan copy. His evolution has been incredibly intriguing in just the span of a year.
Cyborg Yzerberg
Registered User
Yes, Kessel and Toews were obviously great college prospects, Oshie and Okposo too, but as far as freshman seasons go, Larkin and Eichel seem to be the best freshman prospects since Kariya.
Syckle78
Registered User
To me being one of the best fourteen isn't good enough. If he's going to be the thirteenth or fourteenth forward only playing sporadically it wouldn't be good for his development and a waste of an elc year.
Agreed. If he isn't top 9 or 10 forwards I don't see a point in carrying him on the NHL roster this season. I am not adamantly against him making the the team as the 11th or 12th forward, but too many times Larkin has been stuck in a shutdown type role. I'd prefer he focus on refining his offensive game than continue the trajectory of a 4th line.
Henkka
Registered User
Agree. He has to be TOP8 center whereever he plays. Can't see Detroit would be that place yet, in other than injury cases.
Our depth chart is quite full...
AKader - Zeta - Nyquist
Helm - Datsyuk - Tatar
Weiss - Sheahan - Pulkkinen/Jurco
Miller - Glendening - Ferraro/Jurco
14th forward (maybe Andersson)
LTIR Franzen (not a guarantee he is injured, could be healthy)
So we have 15 guys up already.
Farm system:
Bertuzzi - (Miele) - Mantha
Athanasiou - Larkin - Callahan
Tvrdon - Nosek - Frk
AHL-vets (like Porter, Zengerle, Aubry, Campbell)
Bruton as a goon. I think Hoggan retires after this season and takes some minor coaching job.
Larkin could easily have a TOP6-center spot with 1st PP and 1st PK duties. It's a good place for development, at Grand Rapids.
I could see Z and D almost exclusively paired together next year to pave the way for Sheahan to be a full time 2nd line center and then Glendening would be the checking line center. That would open up a spot for a 3rd/4th line center to be paired with Pulk for a lot of easy minutes 5 on 5 and then maybe Larkin being a regular on the PK as a replacement for Anderrsson. I could see Larkin possibly being ready for that type of role next season.
He could still get 12 to 14 minutes a game and play with skilled players and also in all situations on the PK and that could all be great for his future development. Or, maybe Nosek will fill it. But, I think they'll give Larkin a shot at a roster spot in camp just like they intended to do with Mantha before he got injured. Its already impressive that they are pairing him with Pulk in GR when Nosek went down.
He could still get 12 to 14 minutes a game and play with skilled players and also in all situations on the PK and that could all be great for his future development. Or, maybe Nosek will fill it. But, I think they'll give Larkin a shot at a roster spot in camp just like they intended to do with Mantha before he got injured. Its already impressive that they are pairing him with Pulk in GR when Nosek went down.
No way. If Larkin isn't going to play on a bona fide scoring line, he shouldn't play. He's 18, not 25. He could play top line, PP, and PK in Grand Rapids.
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Abdelkader
Tatar-Sheahan-Helm
Nyquist-Larkin-Pulkkinen
That's not a bonafide scoring line? And that's assuming Franzen and Weiss aren't in the mix. It's a luxury not to have to throw him out there on the top line for 20 minutes a night right off the bat, and we have a group in the clubhouse that would be good for him to spend as much time with as possible before they start drifting off towards retirement.
Cyborg Yzerberg
Registered User
BinCookin
Registered User
IMHO Jurco needs to improve this year for sure, or he will be traded... or worse... waived.
(P.S. I agree with a lineup that doesnt include Jurco OR has Jurco on the 4th line only)
Henkka
Registered User
Best development for Larkin would be play with Zetterberg (learn systems. and detail things) and watch how Datsyuk plays (double effect, when Dylan sits on the bench).
If he learns everything good from them (do they even have any bad habits in their play..?), you just couldn't do any better.
If he learns everything good from them (do they even have any bad habits in their play..?), you just couldn't do any better.
BamaWing
Registered User
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...an-wolverines-grand-rapids-griffins/28131573/
Nice article here. Talks about Dylan's parents a bit. You can sort of see where he's come from.
Nice article here. Talks about Dylan's parents a bit. You can sort of see where he's come from.
Another strong game for Larkin. I'm not really one to want to rush prospects into the NHL, but it is getting to the point where I really don't see any reason for him not to be in the NHL next year. If I had to nitpick his game I would say that the biggest areas for improvement would be shot accuracy and heaviness of his shot. I just really don't see why he shouldn't be the 3C next year and reunite Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the same line on a more permanent basis.
SpookyTsuki
Registered User
- Dec 3, 2014
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I don't see Larkin on the roster unless a boat load of players get injured, well maybe not a boat load, Just like 2 or 3. I think when Helm/Abby contracts are up is when he comes up full time.
Probie
Registered User
I know man, its super packed when you consider our prospects coming up, our forward core will be crazy. I wish kenny pulls some magic this summer, although history tells us otherwise.
We have an excellent forward core, and with Howard and Mrazek in net next year(barring a trade) we have an excellent goalie tandem as well. Only thing lacking is our D...
Really good game from him...IMO if you put him on the roster next season he is immediately a better #3 center than Sheahan. I think strictly as a player he's already better than Sheahan. I'm not the biggest Sheahan fan (in terms of top 6 potential) so maybe that has something to do with it, but just the eye test tells me he could compete and play impressively right away.
I think it'll be better for Larkin long-term if he's playing top-6 minutes in Grand Rapids for a full season, running the powerplay and the PK, than a defensive role with Detroit seeing fewer minutes. He'll have some call-up opportunities and probably get 5-10 NHL games in anyway.
I mean, I guess if he came into training camp and blew everyone away and was proving himself during the preseason then maybe he earns a top 6 spot. I just don't think it's likely management will want him on the team unless he's ready for a top-6 role.
What exactly is top6 minutes in Detroit? I know it seems like a stupid question, but Glendening had the 9th highest TOI with 14.43 a game. Franzen was sixth with 16.03. Is a minute and twenty seconds that big of a deal?
On top of that, we have the talent to roll three scoring lines. Just because he's centering the third line, it doesn't mean it's a checking line or anything. We could stick a guy who scored 27 goals on his wing on the third line.
If we're looking at Larkin skating 10 minutes a night with Andersson and Ferraro, I'd send him to GR without hesitation. If he's playing 14+ minutes a night with Nyquist and Jurco, I doubt he gets better linemates in GR against as good of a competition as he'll see in the NHL.
The pessimist in me thinks his waiver eligibility will play as big a role as anything in determining where he goes, though.
The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
It seems likely he ends up in Grand Rapids, of course him centering Mantha and Athanasiou wouldn't be the end of the world, they can build chemistry ala the TKO line in Norfolk/Syracuse.
Still a lot of this comes down to what kind of shape he comes into camp in. If Larkin puts on 10-15 lbs of muscle this off-season and looks the part he could be up very quickly even a slight chance he breaks camp depending on training camp injuries and pre-season.
They were entertaining the idea of giving Mantha a true chance before the leg injury. Larkin is the kind of first round talent they will likely actually provide a chance to whether or not people want to believe that. But he needs to blow their doors off like Fischer did.
No way he makes the nhl next year
He wil be in gr with mantha, aa, nosek, bert and nasty to push each other while still having a great ahl team.
He wil be in gr with mantha, aa, nosek, bert and nasty to push each other while still having a great ahl team.
