What more can you say for a guy who has a faceoff-win percentage of 67.9%. Stop and read it again. 67.9%
The apparent league-wide campaign to gush over Luke Glendening's face-off % is going to get Yzerman a 1st round pick at the trade deadline. I'm not convinced he hasn't orchestrated this. #LGRW
— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) March 1, 2021
Of all the contracts that Ken Holland handed out, this was his most reasonable one. And it has paid off handsomely. Glendening is not going to light up the scoresheet, but he is going to be one the best defensive forwards and be a key specialist on the penalty kill. But winning seven out of every 10 faceoffs is just insane. There should be a lot of teams inquiring about him during the trade deadline if not already (which according to reports, it’s already happened).
Getting the C meant increased expectations for Larkin. The pressure has been relatively noticeable thus far, as Larkin has not really set the team ablaze in terms of points. However, especially in the last couple of weeks, there have been moments where his leadership has had a distinct effect on the ice.
Dylan Larkin is a competitor. Except for one game, every win has been the second game of a series; the team seems to put it back together after an initial loss. And this starts from the top down. He leads on and off the ice–especially with playing. a sound 200 foot game. Sitting this weekend only shows that he’s been playing with injuries for some time as well. This didn’t hinder him from sacrificing his body or having an effective back check.
Larkin is not performing at the level many fans expected him to this year – especially after receiving the C. 22 games into the season, Larkin has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points. 22 games into last season, he scored 6 goals and 10 assists – a total of sixteen points. So has Larkin regressed in the scoring department? A bit, yes. But that’s not just a Larkin problem – that’s a team problem–not to mention, he’s one of the most responsible forwards in the defensive end.