Sooner or later, the Detroit Red Wings are going to have to contend with a world without Dylan Larkin.
Whether the disgruntled captain expands his trade list or not remains to be seen, but sooner or later, the Red Wings will need to find a solution. Internal options are all but limited. Candidates range from Andrew Copp - who one can barely call a second line center - to Marco Kasper, who capped off one of the worst sophomore slumps in recent memory.
External candidates are about as limited as they get, as well. It's hard to imagine the next GM takes a swing at Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, who hasn't playeda nywhere near a 1C in years.
The most likely solution, it appears, is to platoon the role, spreading out the burden Larkin once took on among multiple players.
One such candidate that could help bear some of that burden is newly acquired Theo Rochette.
Theo Rochette's NHL audition
Rochette, a former QMJHL product, capped off an impressive year with Lausanne HC in the Swiss League, scoring 43 points in 46 games. He finished the season eighth in league scoring, behind former NHLers like Jesse Puljujarvi and Austin Czarnik. At 24 years of age, Rochette has yet to make an NHL debut. But sometimes, late bloomers can impress.
This isn't to say that Rochette is a lock to make the NHL, nor is it to say he's going to be an impact forward. This season should be seen as an opportunity for younger players to earn their spots in the NHL. If Larkin is gone by the time the season starts, the Red Wings are going to need as much help as they can get at center.
Rochette might be part of that solution.
Red Wings relying on team effort to remain competitive
The unfortunate reality is that, without a legitimate first line center, the Red Wings won't be a very good team. To make matters worse, the Atlantic Division is far and beyond one of the most competitive in the NHL. The Florida Panthers have healed up and added Brady Tkachuk. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are almost inevitably playoff locks.
Even fringe teams last season like the Toronto Maple Leafs upgraded their roster with first overall pick Gavin McKenna. Who have the Red Wings added that will make a difference on the roster? Viktor Arvidsson? Sure, he might pull out a few nice goals here and there, but it's unfair to compare him to someone like McKenna or Tkachuk.
It might be best for the team to take a step back for a season or two and really assess the direction of the franchise. For better or worse, the next general manager has his work cut out for him.
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