At the conclusion of the season, we expect acting captain Niklas Kronwall to retire. Some trade rumors surround Nik; possibly he will be dealt to a contending team as a rental. I don’t see it, Kronner mentioned he has no desire to play anywhere else.
He has won a cup; he isn’t chasing a championship. The Detroit Red Wings have decided to roll with four alternate captains this season. I think the franchise wanted to see how Dylan Larkin would react as a player, as a leader without the guidance of Henrik Zetterberg.
On the other hand, Niklas Kronwall could have easily been named a captain for a season, but that isn’t exactly the Detroit Red Wings way. They like to have their captains be around for the long haul, not just a placeholder. Yzerman to Lidstrom to Zetterberg to Larkin.
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Dylan Larkin has proved this season that he has taken the next step. He is by far the best Detroit Red Wings skater on the ice each and every night. He says the right things to the media, maybe not as blunt as Kronwall but he does have a way of getting his point across.
With Kronwall out of the picture, it will be Larkin who will need to be the one to answer the questions after a terrible loss. He will need to be the one to describe “we just weren’t good enough.” I think he is prepared to do so. I think Larkin is ready to lead this franchise over the next 15 years.
Any leader can lead during success. The best leaders can lead through adversity. When Dylan Larkin dawns the Detroit Red Wings “C” for the first time, similar to Steve Yzerman it will start with adversity. It would be only fitting Yzerman could be the man to oversee this, and help guide a young Dylan Larkin as the leader of this great franchise.
These are our four New Years resolutions for the 2019 Detroit Red Wings.