C Dylan Larkin (2014, 15th, DET)

[Semantics]

Larkin is more NHL ready player than Nylander, he plays that excellent 200 foot game while Nylander still needs some work in that department, especially if he's gonna play for Babcock. I also think the state of the Leafs factors in, they probably don't want Nylander to be around for what looks like will be a tough season in TO. No reason to risk hurting his confidence and stalling his development. He's better off spending another year with Marlies, keeping his confidence sky high, creating chemistry with his future teammates.

Doesn't change the fact that Larkin would be in the minors for a couple of years. Babcock demands that his players be over ready, which is impossible in Larkin's case because he's only played five professional games.

 

[TheMule93]

Like I said, if Babcock were still in Detroit then Larkin would be playing with an AHL goon and a rookie.

Why did Larkin get put into the 1C position in grand rapids during the conference finals then? Babcock was still around.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

Doesn't change the fact that Larkin would be in the minors for a couple of years. Babcock demands that his players be over ready, which is impossible in Larkin's case because he's only played five professional games.

The over ripe thing is not a Babcock thing so much as Wings/KH thing that Babs has bought into. Babs insisted on Jurco being on the team last year, and KH agreed to it, even though it meant losing Nestrasil on waivers and even though Jurco could have benefited from another year in the A

Clune with Nylander and Brown is what Babcock does -- two players with some skill and one grinder/puck retriever.

I'll refer you to last years top six for the Wings:

Nyquist-Zetterberg-Abby(grinder)
Tatar-Dats-Helm(grinder)

You're just not used to the ways of babcock yet. Trust us Wings' fans who've seen it for 10 years. We know what we're talking about.

 

[Tatar Shots]

Doesn't change the fact that Larkin would be in the minors for a couple of years. Babcock demands that his players be over ready, which is impossible in Larkin's case because he's only played five professional games.

Over ready does not mean has to spend years in the AHL. Babcock knows what he likes in a player and if a prospect fits that bill he will want him on the team. He would absolutely want Larkin on the team. If you knew about Babcock's history with prospects you would know that there are some he wants immediately and others he wants to develop certain areas of their games. Larkin is one of those Nylander is the other.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

This is probably the best Hockey coach in the World with his experiences and people think he would have put Larkin in the ahl this year

 

[obey86]

Why did Larkin get put into the 1C position in grand rapids during the conference finals then? Babcock was still around.

Babcock didn't coach GR....

 

[Classicnamesup]

I think it's just sour grapes that Nylander isn't ready

 

[TheMule93]

Babcock didn't coach GR....

I'm well aware of that. Read this quote.

Like I said, if Babcock were still in Detroit then Larkin would be playing with an AHL goon and a rookie.

This leafs fan was saying that if Babcock was still around, Larkin would be playing with a bunch of grinders in the AHL. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about.

 

[Atomos2]

I'm well aware of that. Read this quote.





This leafs fan was saying that if Babcock was still around, Larkin would be playing with a bunch of grinders in the AHL. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about.

I'm only mentioning this for clarification. I think what he was talking about was the preseason game against Buffalo a few nights ago when Babcock put Nylander on a line with Richard Clune and Connor Brown (a rookie). It had nothing to do with the AHL. It was about the preseason.

Again, this was just for clarification.

 

[TheMule93]

I'm only mentioning this for clarification. I think what he was talking about was the preseason game against Buffalo a few nights ago when Babcock put Nylander on a line with Richard Clune and Connor Brown (a rookie). It had nothing to do with the AHL. It was about the preseason.

Again, this was just for clarification.

Well in that case he's still wrong. When Babs was around last year, Mantha was slated to get time with Zetterberg and Datsyuk. He broke his leg so that never happened, but the point remains: the guy has no idea what he is talking about.

 

[Atomos2]

Well in that case he's still wrong. When Babs was around last year, Mantha was slated to get time with Zetterberg and Datsyuk. He broke his leg so that never happened, but the point remains: the guy has no idea what he is talking about.

I also think it was a bit frivolous for him to call Connor Brown some random rookie/Ahl player, but thats an argument for another thread.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

I think it's just sour grapes that Nylander isn't ready

Watched a few leafs preseason games. Nylander looked really good. Would have a few goals if not for some bad luck and missing a wide open cage or two.

I'd say he's ready. The only reason he gets sent down is because the Leafs are going to be bad this year, so they might think having him on a bad team would negatively impact his confidence/development.

The Wings have the opposite problem with Larkin. He's NHL ready, but the team has so much center depth, that there's no room for him on the roster.

 

[sean3250]

Interesting that as soon as Babcock leaves they are rushing their prospects, gotta wonder if that's the right move. With Babcock he'd be in the AHL for 2-3 years to learn the pro game inside out. But it sounds like they might rush him, without a single pro game played. As he says, he likes his prospects over ready.

Nice bait post

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I think it's just sour grapes that Nylander isn't ready

Yea, that's what Semantics does. Drops a bait post because he's upset about something. And now he's turned a Larkin thread into a Nylander thread.

He did the same thing when he spread rumors about Jack Eichel's GPA.

Larkin deserves to be in the NHL. He makes the Red Wings a better team and has a well rounded game that is ready for the NHL. Nylander could certainly play in the NHL, but he could still learn a few things in the AHL.

 

[newfy]

Nah look at what Babcock is doing now with Nylander who is a comparable prospect to Larkin, playing him on the bottom two lines with other rookies or scrubs for linemates, making it as tough on him as possible. Last game one of his wingers was Rich Clune. He said he likes his prospects over ready and you can't tell me a guy who has played a handful of games is over ready. Larkin would definitely be spending 2-3 years in the AHL if Babcock were his coach.

Nah, the wings did this with prospects before Babcock and will continue while hes gone. Larkin is the best prospect the wings have had in a long time. Babcock would like him a lot more than Nylander right now because Larkin is a Babcock style player that his system relies on. Skilled, two way center that can PK and match against other teams scorers. Nylander isnt that type of player. Brown was Nylanders other linemate, maybe Clune was out there to protect two of Torontos better prospects and develop some chemistry for this season in the AHL? I've only seen one gae of Torontos this preseason but Nylander also didnt look like hes playing at the level of Larkin right now. Larkin has matched with Bergeron and Crosby the last two games and handled himself well. Babcock would be begging for him on the wings

Babcock wasnt some genius that ran the Detroit organization. Holland made the roster, decided on what to do with players and Babcock coached them.

 

[Semantics]

Why did Larkin get put into the 1C position in grand rapids during the conference finals then? Babcock was still around.

I'm talking about in the NHL buddy.

 

[Semantics]

The over ripe thing is not a Babcock thing so much as Wings/KH thing that Babs has bought into. Babs insisted on Jurco being on the team last year, and KH agreed to it, even though it meant losing Nestrasil on waivers and even though Jurco could have benefited from another year in the A

Clune with Nylander and Brown is what Babcock does -- two players with some skill and one grinder/puck retriever.

I'll refer you to last years top six for the Wings:

Nyquist-Zetterberg-Abby(grinder)
Tatar-Dats-Helm(grinder)

You're just not used to the ways of babcock yet. Trust us Wings' fans who've seen it for 10 years. We know what we're talking about.

Exactly my point. If Babcock was still coaching the Red Wings, Larkin would not be taking shifts with NHLers like Nyquist and Abdelkader.

He would be on the 3rd/4th line centering Chris Bruton and Mitch Callahan.

 

[Semantics]

This leafs fan was saying that if Babcock was still around, Larkin would be playing with a bunch of grinders in the AHL. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about.

Hahaha, the irony! You're the one who failed at basic reading comprehension. Want to try again?

Hint: Nylander is playing with Clune-Brown in the NHL preseason, on the 3rd line. If Babcock was still coaching the Red Wings that's the kind of ice time Dylan Larkin would be receiving.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Hahaha, the irony! You're the one who failed at basic reading comprehension. Want to try again?

Hint: Nylander is playing with Clune-Brown in the NHL preseason, on the 3rd line. If Babcock was still coaching the Red Wings that's the kind of ice time Dylan Larkin would be receiving.

Did it ever occur to you that Nylander and Larkin are different players?

Of course not. This is just an opportunity for you make excuses for Nylander's lack of production.

 

[Semantics]

Larkin deserves to be in the NHL. He makes the Red Wings a better team and has a well rounded game that is ready for the NHL. Nylander could certainly play in the NHL, but he could still learn a few things in the AHL.

I never said he doesn't deserve to be in the NHL, I said he wouldn't be in the NHL under Babcock, in response to somebody who said the Wings weren't rushing their prospects. He'd probably make the NHL on all of the 29 teams that aren't coached by Babcock.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

Exactly my point. If Babcock was still coaching the Red Wings, Larkin would not be taking shifts with NHLers like Nyquist and Abdelkader.

He would be on the 3rd/4th line centering Chris Bruton and Mitch Callahan.

You pretty much ignored everything I said and restated your original claim. You're clearly just intentionally being obtuse now...

 

[Dotter]

I never said he doesn't deserve to be in the NHL, I said he wouldn't be in the NHL under Babcock, in response to somebody who said the Wings weren't rushing their prospects. He'd probably make the NHL on all of the 29 teams that aren't coached by Babcock.

Babcock is overrated and isn't a good coach for young players. In fact, I would go out on a limb and say he is well below average young players coach. Which is why everyone in DRWs brass except Dan Cleary and Holland wanted him on the next train out of Detroit.

Babcock has no clue how to handle young players.

 

[Classicnamesup]

Yea, that's what Semantics does. Drops a bait post because he's upset about something. And now he's turned a Larkin thread into a Nylander thread.

He did the same thing when he spread rumors about Jack Eichel's GPA.

Larkin deserves to be in the NHL. He makes the Red Wings a better team and has a well rounded game that is ready for the NHL. Nylander could certainly play in the NHL, but he could still learn a few things in the AHL.

Thanks for the info, laughed at anybody caring about Eichel's GPA

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I never said he doesn't deserve to be in the NHL, I said he wouldn't be in the NHL under Babcock, in response to somebody who said the Wings weren't rushing their prospects. He'd probably make the NHL on all of the 29 teams that aren't coached by Babcock.

The model you're getting at was developed while Babcock was coaching in juniors and the AHL....

Larkin won't break camp with the Wings barring staggering injuries over the weekend, but it isn't because he isn't ready. It is because they develop their players carefully. They want him to play 20 minutes a night in Grand Rapids for the first half the season through the World Juniors and then he will likely get a couple cups of coffee and be on the team come the post-season.

For all the Detroit way over-ripens players, their post-season rosters generally contain the guys that people complain about being held down. If they need him because the playoffs are in jeopardy he will be up earlier kind of like how Nyquist came up in November when they were struggling a couple years ago.

What makes Larkin a particularly interesting case is the fact he can check world class talent. He did it at the World Championships and who they have matched him up against all pre-season has been other big guns. I think for his offensive game and because of the numbers he will go down.

It isn't because of Babcock that this will happen though. Much like he complained about Ouellet he would be complaining about sending Larkin down, not running the campaign that his game would turn off at some point because he was young. Larkin plays the exact center game Babcock is obsessed with. He wouldn't shut up about him in his exit interviews on the way to Toronto.

Larkin is ahead of Nylander as a player because he plays the full 200 feet. He doesn't have the max potential, but at this point in their development curve he makes the right play on a more frequent basis and plays with more consistency and directness in all three zones.

 

[Philip Kessel]

Babcock is overrated and isn't a good coach for young players. In fact, I would go out on a limb and say he is well below average young players coach. Which is why everyone in DRWs brass except Dan Cleary and Holland wanted him on the next train out of Detroit.

Babcock has no clue how to handle young players.

yeah thats why he's getting paid 5m, right? More than any coach, but he has no clue what he's doing?