C Dylan Larkin (2014, 15th, DET)
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obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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MardyBum
Registered User
I wouldn't argue that Larkin's in the same tier as Eichel, but I mean common. He wouldn't have made the Wings if he didn't have great playmaking ability.
I think Wings fans are jumping the gun a little bit on point production. But there are also some people here who haven't seen Larkin play any time soon, and it shows. The kid has become a finesse type player. He's not a grinder. He's a playmaker in the mold of a Henrik Zetterberg.
I agree with the point production thing, but you are wayyy off on his style of play. Larkin played a defensive role for the WC, but he does not play a defensive role for the Wings, and it shows. He holds onto the puck and makes plays. He carries the puck for his line. He's "the guy" on his line in almost every case. He's been dominant in the pre-season doing just that. He took Nyquist's spot on the first line and has looked way better there. He's going to start the season on the first line alongside Zetterberg and Abdelkader.
and the Hyman point is ridiculous. Hyman had a good year in college, but he's not anywhere near Larkin's level. And Larkin is significantly more skilled than Hyman. Ironically, Hyman projects to be the grinder-ish guy you think Larkin is, and Larkin projects to be the skill player you wish Hyman was. I suspect that Hyman will have a down year without Larkin to match all the down years he had before Larkin came along.
All told, Hyman actually only has one year so far where he's produced. Larkin has a bunch. And yet the inference you draw is that *Hyman* was the straw who stirred the drink? That's bizarre.
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The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
Not sure need a Pens fan, he did that move a couple times in the pre-season. The first time being on his first shift where he beat Brent Seabrook like that and cranked it off the crossbar. He likes that move a lot, which reminds most Wings fans of Fedorov, where he steams down the side and slides the puck between the stick and body if the defender does get back quick enough to still get off a high hard shot.
What makes Larkin particularly interesting and has been noted since he showed up at U of M and people started watching him a lot more is that he plays at his pace with his head up. He is rarely looking down and he is still scanning the ice while moving at warp speed. Always important in terms of the guys that play with a lot of pace, he isn't looking at his feet or the ice often at all which is a very encouraging sign.
Pretty much this. Wings' fans gotta cool it on the whole "franchise player in making" thing. Lets see how he does during a full NHL season before we start having that conversation.
At the same time, saying "he's just an elite skater with no playmaking ability" seems like an odd position to take also. From what I've seen during preseason, the kid has outstanding playmaking ability for a 19 year old.
Don't post videos. It's already been established that Larkin can't drive possession and is a bad playmaker.
Every defender that doesn't realize how fast he is.
Semantics
PUBLIC ENEMY #1
I think he's a stud, but highlight videos are worthless. Every player has highlights. Would rather see some advanced stats instead. If you have to post a video, a compilation of all of his shifts over a game would be more informative.
Woodhouse
Registered User
The LD Larkin beat there was David Warsofsky, paired with Ben Lovejoy and Jeff Zatkoff in goal.
It still is solid evidence that he is, in fact, a skill player. Non-skill players don't make plays like that.
I think the people who think Larkin will be a "franchise player" should absolutely expect 40 points this year... Perhaps significantly more.
Most of the "franchise" forwards who have broke into the league within the past decade have wasted little time in proving they could put up big numbers, and just about all of them proved it while still 18-20 years of age.
It seems Toews and Kopitar are two popular comparisons for Larkin, and both of those guys scored at nearly a 70 point clip as 19 year rookies.
Heraldic
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- Dec 12, 2013
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Sure, it doesn't cover ALL the prospects. But once does something to warrant even some hype, it gets really extreme pretty fast (or that what I have noticed).
There is every reason to be excited about Larkin, but this talk about franchise player and comparisons to Toews and Kopitar is a bit too extreme at this point.
I have never said that he is a bad playmaker or driving possession. What I said that those abilities shown so far for me don't resemble something that will turn out to be a franchise player in a mold of Kopitar or Toews.
Player making a team hardly is any indication about his quality of a specific ability.
Again... Nowhere have I said he has absolutely no playmaking ability or that he isn't able to pass the puck...
His playmaking abilities don't show to me being "outstanding", though. But I haven't really seen his pre-season games. But it would mean something has really changed during a summer and changes like that don't usually happen in a such a short period of time especially during an off-season.
I can show you a lot of highlights from Girgensons that indicate he is a very skilled player or a great playmaker. But that just isn't the case (he's not a bum either, though).
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Birko19
Registered User
I think eventually when Datsyuk comes back Larkin might be sent down unless he really runs away with it and makes it very hard for them to send him down.
If he manages to stay up for the season, I suspect a 40-50 point season is not out of the question, in today's NHL this would be a successful rookie year imo.
If he manages to stay up for the season, I suspect a 40-50 point season is not out of the question, in today's NHL this would be a successful rookie year imo.
Watch him on Friday night against Toronto -- the dude is a solid playmaker all the while being solid defensively.
Yeah, I'm thinking he'll get sent back down once the Wings' roster is fully healthy also. The only way I can see him sticking around is if he absolutely tears it up...
The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
This implies that you will see a fully healthy roster, which actually isn't all that usual in the NHL.
I mean he has a month until Datsyuk is back who would really be the force down kind of guy. Does Franzen make it that long, does somebody else get hurt in that time frame?
I think if it was just on Helm's health, he wouldn't have started up. He has a good little chunk of time here to work on a roster spot and with each player that goes down he buys more of it. I hope the injuries stop, but counting on it isn't actually that probable in terms of what we see in the NHL.
izzy
go
But Larkin is more of a playmaker than anything else. That's what he does. It really seems like you haven't watched him play that much.
MatthewFlames
Registered User
Couldn't ask for an easier introduction. When do the games against real NHL teams start?
obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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Just sucks the Wings have so many top 6/9 NHL caliber forwards/centers and Larkin is the only young guy who can be sent to GR without going through waivers.
Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader
Tatar - Richards - Nyquist
Jurco/Franzen - Sheahan - Pulkkinen
I'm worried he'll get sent down when Datsyuk/Helm come back unless he is lighting the world on fire or there are other injuries.
Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader
Tatar - Richards - Nyquist
Jurco/Franzen - Sheahan - Pulkkinen
I'm worried he'll get sent down when Datsyuk/Helm come back unless he is lighting the world on fire or there are other injuries.
Guess that's a good point. Seem to recall a pretty significant stretch during last season when the whole team was healthy though.
I suppose we'll see. It's probably likely I'm wrong actually, given my track record for making predictions lately. I was pretty confident that KH wasn't going to be putting Larkin on the opening night roster just a few days ago after all.
Lol, I'm dying over the whole Hymann, Larkin discussion. Larkin shows up, puts up numbers that are above Kessel, Parise, Toews and so on, and a guy like Hymann puts up more points then he did in the 3 years combined without Larkin there. Lol
obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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Come on dawg, we all know Hyman carried that line. I mean, look at his track record of offensive excellence prior to Larkin arriving: 9 points, 9 points, 17 points.
