Larkin the ideal building block for young Wings
Dylan Larkin is as important to the Detroit Red Wings as Auston Matthews is to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Jack Eichel is to the Buffalo Sabres.
He wasn’t drafted No. 1 overall like Matthews or No. 2 like Eichel. He hasn’t scored as many goals as they have. His second contract didn’t reach $10 million per season as Eichel’s did and Matthews’ will.
The Red Wings’ fan base is rightfully excited about Filip Zadina’s scoring touch, Michael Rasmussen’s arrival and Joe Veleno’s potential. But Larkin, 22, is the foundation on which the Red Wings are being built.
“He’s very, very, very important to the future of this franchise,” Detroit general manager Ken Holland said.
Matthews, 21, Eichel, 21, and Larkin, 22, all came through the U.S. National Team Development Program. If the National Hockey League returns to the Olympics in 2022, those three centres should make the U.S. squad.
Steve Yzerman is the gold standard for judging No. 1 centres in Detroit, and there will never be another Yzerman, who went from being one of the league’s premium offensive players to the ultimate playoff warrior.
But Larkin can be a leader in the style of Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. When Larkin was in his draft year, he drew comparisons to the Blackhawks star.
Toews has been a strong offensive player, but won’t contend for a scoring title. But he did everything else to help the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups.
“Dylan plays with a lot of will, passion, determination and pride,” Holland said. “He loves the rink. He’s learned over the past year and a half how to be a more complete player, to be more committed defensively.”
He will have to show this young Detroit team the way with his drive. Larkin said he is not reinventing his game, although he would like to score more goals. He scored 63 points last season, with 16 goals.
“I thought I had a pretty solid year,” he said.
“If I could have capitalized on more of my scoring chances ...”
Another reason why Larkin is the perfect foundation block is he is a Michigan native. He grew up in the Detroit area when the Red Wings were winning Stanley Cups.