Neither Dylan Larkin nor anyone wearing a Detroit Red Wings uniform did much to help the cause on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights as they suffered their first shutout loss of the season and dropped to 9-5-0. But it doesn't take away from the Wings' hot start, and you can credit Larkin for much of that.
Through 14 games, Larkin has been red-hot, with 18 points and eight goals. Across an 82-game slate, that would give Larkin between 105 and 106 points on the year, plus between 36 and 37 goals. And all of this early-season success has come months after what sounded like a dispute the captain had with general manager Steve Yzerman.
If you remember, when the Wings missed the playoffs last season, Larkin said, "It'd be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well," regarding the lack of efficient moves the Wings made at the trade deadline.
Not long after, Yzerman said, "And again, I will say, I’m counting on our best players, our leaders, to give us a bit of a morale boost. That’s what they’re paid for, and that’s the expectation for them."
Dylan Larkin had no problem answering that supposed challenge through 14 games
Nothing says "morale boost" like 18 points through 14 games, but it's more than that. Before the Golden Knights shut out the Red Wings 1-0 on Tuesday night, they were 10th in scoring with 42 goals, and even after failing to pick up a goal against Vegas, the Wings are still averaging three per game.
You can credit a lot of that to Larkin, who has spent time playing on the same line as Lucas Raymond and Emmitt Finnie. Raymond is currently on a point-per-game pace with 12 of them and four goals, but Finnie has been the biggest benefactor.
Finnie, a seventh-round pick in 2023, impressed the Wings enough to land a spot with the big club, is fourth on the team in scoring with eight points and four goals through 14 contests. Larkin's presence has surely helped Finnie, who could be in the discussion for the Calder Trophy at the end of the year if his solid play continues.
Larkin has helped the Red Wings win in more areas than just scoring
Larkin has once again been a force in the face-off dot, winning 56.7 percent of his draws heading into Tuesday night's matchup. He's also boasting a plus-6 on the year, which leads the team. Larkin also had a Corsi For percentage of 50.5 at even strength, which is more than a solid number when you consider his offensive zone starts in that same situation resided at 40.2 as of Tuesday.
His on-ice shooting percentage at even strength is a stellar 16.8 percent, which is second on the team next to Lucas Raymond's 18.8. Throw in a 91.3 on-ice save percentage, third on the team, and it's clear that Larkin is giving opponents a tough time regardless of which zone he's playing in.
While most will look at Larkin's point total and little else, he has been arguably the most complete player on the Red Wings this season. Should he keep it up, expect him to at least get close to that 105-point mark if he doesn't outright surpass it.
Whether his scorching start is a response to the supposed back-and-forth he had with Steve Yzerman following that disappointing finish in 2024-25, we'll never know. But regardless, Larkin is doing his job exactly the way Yzerman envisioned, and that has, for the most part, delivered remarkable results to the Red Wings.