Dylan Larkin needs to step it up this season. And that's not criticism. We know what he can do when the puck's on his stick, and he's gonna put up solid-to-elite numbers again this season.
Larkin's the do-it-all center for Detroit and if they had just two more Larkin-caliber players, then the Wings are annual playoff contenders, no doubt. But recent seasons have shown us the Wings are brewing contenders, and Larkin's leading the squad.
And as the team captain and Detroit's most distinguished player, it's up to him if he's gonna elevate this younger team. Now the good news is, he's got help, with James van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic, John Gibson, and Mason Appleton joining the rebuilding effort.
All four of those players have extensive NHL experience and they're not young guys in NHL years. So I'm confident they can all supplement the captain, and that will pay dividends for the entire team if successful.
Dylan Larkin can produce, but he must lead the Detroit Red Wings
Even with the added help, Larkin's still the respected leader. He's also the one Steve Yzerman put on notice following the season when the two had a back and forth over how much help, or lack thereof, Yzerman was giving the Wings.
Well, that help's arrived. No, neither van Riemsdyk, Hamonic, Gibson, nor Appleton are game-breakers. Not at this stage in their careers. But that's fine, with players like Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and even Patrick Kane doing the heavy lifting on the ice.
It's time for Larkin to prove he's the undisputed leader
The youngsters I mentioned earlier is the core we're all expecting Larkin to take charge of and push them up another rung. If he can get them up there, then great, the Red Wings have an undisputed leader they can trust. But if he falls short again this season, then Larkin's got to take ownership.
No, Steve Yzerman didn't enjoy an outstanding trade deadline, neither in 2025 nor 2024, and there's not a single Red Wings fan out there pretending otherwise. But he's relentlessly stuck to the good old Yzerplan and built an incredible prospects pool, and early returns show that pool's made the Wings relevant.
Larkin's got to show he's on board with that even if the 2025-26 season doesn't end the way he, the Red Wings, or their fans want. That'll be his challenge heading into the campaign, and we'll know in about seven months if he answered the call.