It's well known that, from the late 1990s until about the mid-2000s, the Detroit Red Wings were the team to beat in the NHL, and the four Stanley Cups in that span prove it.
This was because the Red Wings had some of the most talented players to ever play the game all on one team. Players like Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Sergei Fedorov, and Steve Yzerman were the headliners, accompanied by some of the best depth in the game with the likes of Darren McCarty, Darren Helm, Kris Draper, and Kirk Maltby.
Rightfully so, many fans look back on those years and hope that the team can become that team once again. Unfortunately, it's not likely to happen in the Salary Cap era. Teams now have to be strategic with their player signings and contract extensions to manage the cap properly (Unless you're the Toronto Maple Leafs and you feel like giving 50 percent of your cap space to the same four players every season).
While Lidstrom and Yzerman may not be able to lace up their skates and play for the Winged Wheel anymore, there are some current Red Wings that remind me of a few Red Wing Legends.
Dylan Larkin looks to develop into Yzerman 2.0
Yes, I know. At first glance, you're probably thinking, "The funny Twitter man is insane!" And to that, you'd probably be right, but not in this case.
While Larkin will never reach the same heights as Yzerman did as a player, as a leader, he has been creeping his way towards Yzerman's level. Larkin's presence on and off the ice is felt every game, and when he's not going, the team's not going either.
Thankfully, most nights, Larkin is one of the hardest-working players on either end of the ice, and the rest of the team loves to feed off his energy and presence.
Off the ice, Larkin has been a major proponent of giving back to the city of Detroit, and while we don't know what exactly goes on in the locker room, there have been times when he's had to give the team a wake-up call in the past.
He still has a bit of developing to do as captain, but once the team becomes filled with more of their long-term and younger solutions like Nate Danielson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, I imagine that's when Larkin's leadership will start to blossom. He'll have a fresh set of young talent to help mold and not a team full of older vets who have their own mindset of how to play and live the game.