Detroit Red Wings: Where should Dylan Larkin start?

With two months left before training camp, the roster for the Detroit Red Wings is starting to take shape but still has a few question marks. One of the biggest questions is where will Detroit’s top prospect, Dylan Larkin, start the season.

More from Prospects

Larkin had an impressive 2014-2015 season that saw him excel at many different levels and do nothing but increase his stock as a Red Wings prospect.

Larkin put up more than a point per game as a freshman at the University of Michigan scoring 15 goals and 32 assists in 35 games and was chosen as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Larkin turned heads at the 2015 World Junior Championships by scoring 5 goals and 10 points in five games. This performance led to Larkin being recruited by Team USA for the World Championships where he held his own against strong NHL competition. To top off his whirlwind season, Larkin decided to go pro and join the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL Western Conference Finals. Larkin exploded in the series with 3 goals and 2 assists in six games against the Utica Comets. Larkin has proven himself at every level so far and most Red Wings fans are interested in seeing what he can do in the NHL.

The good news for fans is it seems like the Red Wings will give Larkin an opportunity to make the big club in training camp. That does not mean he will be guaranteed a spot, but it is nice too see the Red Wings are not completely ruling out the possibility. From an MLive article on July 8th, Blashill said this to Brendan Savage:

"“To step in and have the impact he had, he didn’t look good as a young player. He was good.His impact was good. How close is he? He’s certainly close. What does that mean come camp? We’ll see. Everybody takes different journeys to the get to the NHL. How quickly those journeys are depends on the player and the work they put in this summer.”"

Even with the rave reviews from coaches and fans, Larkin’s future as a Griffin may have been cemented with the free agent signing of Brad Richards. With Richards slated as the number 2 center behind Datsyuk, there is not much room for Larkin in the top six. Holland wants Larkin to be a top six forward once he joins the Red Wings. I think Larkin would definitely be starting the season in the NHL if he were on a non-playoff team, but the Red Wings are a very deep offensive team right now. Having Larkin in Detroit would risk losing a promising forward to waivers. If Larkin is in Grand Rapids he will get top line minutes and give guys like Teemu Pulkkinen and Landon Ferraro a chance to prove themselves and increase their overall NHL value.

Red Wings fans know that they do not rush their prospects. I feel this is one of the main reasons that they acquired Brad Richards from the Blackhawks. The Red Wings are patient and I think it will end up paying off for them. Larkin most likely will not start the season in Detroit, but he will be there before long.

He will have time to increase his confidence at the AHL level and get some experience with Anthony Mantha on his wing. There are bound to be some injuries during the season and I feel Larkin will be ready to step up. It’s actually a pretty good feeling to know that the Red Wings have that kind of depth.

The one thing that might change things for Larkin is Pavel Datsyuk’s recent surgery. If Datsyuk is not ready at the beginning of the season and Larkin has a phenomenal training camp, he could possibly start the season in Detroit. There is still a lot of time to go before September, but there is plenty to look forward to–whether Larkin ends up in Grand Rapids or Detroit.

More from Octopus Thrower

Home/Prospects