What's Up With Dylan Larkin?

[MBH]

Tonight he scored early on a bit of a broken play. It was his only shot on goal.
His line got owned in CF% - playing against the Seguin and Faksa lines.
He went 38 percent on faceoffs.
Coming into the game, Larkin was on an 18G 50PT -28 pace.

I know he lacks support - especially with Mantha out and Nyquist long gone. And he doesn't get much help from his defense. But there's something missing from his game.
After a hot start (2-5-7 in 6 games), he's gone 8-11-19 in 37 games.

He missed some exhibition season time with a groin injury. Recently he asked fans not to vote for him at the all-star game. Maybe he needs a rest?

Click to read more...

 

[golffuul]

I was actually thinking this myself, when I was watching. He just seems to lack any jump to his game. And you can tell that his body isn't doing what his brain wants him to. Fabbri looks pretty banged up, as well.

 

[lilidk]

I hope Yzerman can answer this question. He could play true the pain or he doesn't care as much as before.

 

[KJoe88]

The team sucks and he’s clearly gassed due to no support and probably over working. Bad stretch here, but in no way he’s suddenly turned into a bad player.

He’ll bounce back and be his usual hype-self again. Luckily this year is an irrelevant one

 

[lilidk]

So ,why does Red Wings still not have Capitan, what is wrong with Larkin?, why can he can't be the Capitan

 

[kliq]

So ,why does Red Wings still not have Capitan, what is wrong with Larkin?, why can he can't be the Capitan

Nobody knows for sure, but my gut tells me they wont name a captain until Zetterberg is officially off the roster, or in his last year (which is next season).

 

[DetroitRed]

It's partly a question that maybe not even Dylan can answer.

I'm sure he could answer the bit about the all-star game. I hope his answer on that would talk about not wanting to enable Bettman, but I'm not sure Dylan would say such a thing.

As for the game against Dallas, I think you can say one thing with surety: that after the first goal, there wasn't much competition from the Red Wings on the whole.

 

[newfy]

I think you answered the question yourself. He has absolutely no support. The difference of no Nyquist, Vanek or a healthy Mantha has turned this team from almost worst in the league to god awful. Last season Green was still a really good offensive dman and Dekeyser actually played.

The shape of the roster makes me not worry about Larkin at all. Its not great to see and I do actually wonder if hes been playing through injury but its not like he all of a sudden is gonna suck. This is turning out to be the worst team in 20 years so it shouldnt be that surprising really.

If Larkin was playing through injury, would the wings even have someone to call up and play in his place while he gets healthy? Depends on the injury but I really doubt it, the organisation might be waiting for the end of the year to get him healed up

 

[Peter Tosh]

Nobody knows for sure, but my gut tells me they wont name a captain until Zetterberg is officially off the roster, or in his last year (which is next season).

My guess is that the Larkin captaincy and when they fire Blashill will be the start of the next phase.

 

[Henkka]

I like our situation. Larkin is the obvious Captain for future, but also Seider is looking almost like 1B Captain for the team. We need more great leadership, like on the glory days there was 4-5-6 guys who all could have been Captains. Seider can be the Assistant as the "Captain for Europeans" and Larkin for NA guys. Just like Lidström and Yzerman were.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

And everyone was BEGGING to give him the C. I said LET HIM EARN IT! He has one decent season and we want to put him on a list with Howe, Yzerman , Lidstrom and Z?! This franchise is an original 6. Not Arizona. He hasn't earned the right to be the captain. I'm glad Yzerman isn't emotional and didn't crown him prematurely because "he is from Michigan.." " it feels right for him to be the captain..."

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I like our situation. Larkin is the obvious Captain for future, but also Seider is looking almost like 1B Captain for the team. We need more great leadership, like on the glory days there was 4-5-6 guys who all could have been Captains. Seider can be the Assistant as the "Captain for Europeans" and Larkin for NA guys. Just like Lidström and Yzerman were.

That's not "obvious ". This team is the worst in the entire league by far. I would be willing to trade ANYONE including Larkin if that makes us better!

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

He is -15. Why is that not being brought up.AA's +/- is brought up daily?? Larkin has not looked anywhere near what most of you expected him to look like this year yet we have to ignore this because it doesn't fit the narrative on here..... I get it now....

 

[Hen Kolland]

He is -15. Why is that not being brought up.AA's +/- is brought up daily?? Larkin has not looked anywhere near what most of you expected him to look like this year yet we have to ignore this because it doesn't fit the narrative on here..... I get it now....

Athanasiou is -20 worse than Larkin. Despite playing almost 300 fewer minutes. When Larkin nightly draws the opponents best players.

You can call it a narrative. Some people just call it real life.

 

[MBH]

And everyone was BEGGING to give him the C. I said LET HIM EARN IT! He has one decent season and we want to put him on a list with Howe, Yzerman , Lidstrom and Z?! This franchise is an original 6. Not Arizona. He hasn't earned the right to be the captain. ."

I really don't get this thinking.
Every NHL team is supposed to have a captain. Guess what, before Yzerman, the Red Wings had captains that weren' Hall of Famers or even all stars.

You choose a leader and go and stop pretending like you're choosing a f***ing Pope.

 

[MBH]

That's not "obvious ". This team is the worst in the entire league by far. I would be willing to trade ANYONE including Larkin if that makes us better!

Being captain doesn't mean you can't be traded.

 

[Bondurant]

Being captain doesn't mean you can't be traded.

That's for damn sure. Chelios, an anglophone and American, earns the C in Montreal...traded next season.

 

[kliq]

I really don't get this thinking.
Every NHL team is supposed to have a captain. Guess what, before Yzerman, the Red Wings had captains that weren' Hall of Famers or even all stars.

You choose a leader and go and stop pretending like you're choosing a ****ing Pope.

We do, he's just on LTIR. You're right about the rest though, people are talking like picking a captain is = to retiring jerseys. You don't have to be a hall of fame great to be a captain.

To elaborate on what I said earlier. While I think there is pretty much zero chance that Zetterberg plays another NHL game, the reason why I think Detroit hasn't picked a captain is because of him. I believe when it comes to LTIR the player needs to be deemed unfit to play every year, and the player has a chance every year to challenge that every year if they choose to. If the Wings name Larkin captain and then are surprised in the fall if Z has a change in his physical state, they are in a very weird place where they would technically have two captains. Once 2020/21 starts and Z is officially on LTIR for his final season, I think they name Larkin captain. MAYBE, they wait until Z is officially off the books, then they do it. Either way, since Z went on LTIR I always thought that this was the logical direction.

 

[kliq]

And everyone was BEGGING to give him the C. I said LET HIM EARN IT! He has one decent season and we want to put him on a list with Howe, Yzerman , Lidstrom and Z?! This franchise is an original 6. Not Arizona. He hasn't earned the right to be the captain. I'm glad Yzerman isn't emotional and didn't crown him prematurely because "he is from Michigan.." " it feels right for him to be the captain..."

When you arbitrarily select 4 players that are all time greats, you are making the bar for captaincy ridiculous. What about Gare, Larson, Thompson, McCourt, Hextall, Maloney, Polonich, Grant, Harper, Young, Lewis etc. A team needs a leader, and by next season we should have one despite him not being on a HOF path yet.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Back to what I think was the original topic, one of the things I've noticed about Larkin lately is he doesn't seem to have that game breaking speed. He's certainly not slow and he's working hard but it doesn't look like he's flying out there like he did in the past. I don't know if it's a nagging injury or playing more conservatively due to increased defensive responsibility.

As for the captaincy, I'm sure the Wings are trying to avoid the Dead Wings situations of having a parade of players wearing the C* as the team goes through turmoil, but as others have said, it's not like retiring a jersey.


*in the 73-74 season alone the Wings had 7 different captains. They had 13 different captains between 1975 and 1982.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

When you arbitrarily select 4 players that are all time greats, you are making the bar for captaincy ridiculous. What about Gare, Larson, Thompson, McCourt, Hextall, Maloney, Polonich, Grant, Harper, Young, Lewis etc. A team needs a leader, and by next season we should have one despite him not being on a HOF path yet.

The narrative is he getting the torch passed and will be an all-time great for Detroit since we drafted him! When he was walking up to the podium TSN was saying " He will be a captain in the NHL" so excuse me from comparing him to "Gare, Larson, Thompson, McCourt, Hextall, Maloney, Polonich, Grant, Harper, Young, Lewis etc"

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Being captain doesn't mean you can't be traded.

Have the DRW's ever traded a current captain?

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I really don't get this thinking.
Every NHL team is supposed to have a captain. Guess what, before Yzerman, the Red Wings had captains that weren' Hall of Famers or even all stars.

You choose a leader and go and stop pretending like you're choosing a ****ing Pope.

Suppose to have a captain? Umm maybe? But what's the rush to name him? He hasn't done pretty much anything to be an NHL captain...

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Athanasiou is -20 worse than Larkin. Despite playing almost 300 fewer minutes. When Larkin nightly draws the opponents best players.

You can call it a narrative. Some people just call it real life.

AA was a fourth round pick too wasn't being called a future NHL captain on DRAFT DAY!! Don't forget that. And don't pretend like they had/have the same expectations in the NHL.... AA EXCEEDED expectations for where he was drafted!

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

“He has one decent season” can only be considered to be referencing his performance. His point totals. His play. However you want to twist your words to make your point. He was fantastic last year on and off the ice, and this year, while his statistical production hasn’t been the same, he has taken a more noticeable step forward off the ice. Being out in front of the media, answering the questions about the team’s performance.

You could make an argument of not knowing how he’s received in the locker room by the team, but by everything we are able to see publicly, the team does rally around Larkin.

He has been earning the role, whether you care to admit it or not.

Percieved in the locker room? Are you in the locker room? Or are we just going to go by hearsay and subjective opinions to support your "facts"? (Rhetorical we know your answer bud)