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Canadian_Yzerman_Fan

Is Dylan Larkin a lock to stay in the NHL beyond 9-games?

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Quotes from TSN's Bob McKenzie on Larkin...

It gives you some idea of how good they think Larkin is. They wont come out and say it publicly, but they think hes got a chance to be a special player. Somebody who really has unbelievable leadership qualities.

The unspoken thing in Detroit is that he might and I say might because its too big a mantle to throw on anybody but maybe he becomes Detroits Jonathan Toews. A guy who has character and intangibles to go with the tangibles, which is tremendous speed, tremendous skill. Just sort of an attitude and presence about him. I think thats the first thing that a lot of veteran Red Wings noticed, was that this teenage kid is unlike any other teenage kid theyve had come in Detroit for a long, long time.

Hes got that special something and its hard sometimes to put into words what that special something is, but you know when someones got it. The Blackhawks knew when Toews came up that he had it, and the feeling in Detroit is that Larkin is cut from the same sort of cloth.

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Quotes from TSN's Bob McKenzie on Larkin...

It gives you some idea of how good they think Larkin is. They wont come out and say it publicly, but they think hes got a chance to be a special player. Somebody who really has unbelievable leadership qualities.

The unspoken thing in Detroit is that he might and I say might because its too big a mantle to throw on anybody but maybe he becomes Detroits Jonathan Toews. A guy who has character and intangibles to go with the tangibles, which is tremendous speed, tremendous skill. Just sort of an attitude and presence about him. I think thats the first thing that a lot of veteran Red Wings noticed, was that this teenage kid is unlike any other teenage kid theyve had come in Detroit for a long, long time.

Hes got that special something and its hard sometimes to put into words what that special something is, but you know when someones got it. The Blackhawks knew when Toews came up that he had it, and the feeling in Detroit is that Larkin is cut from the same sort of cloth.

Can you imagine being told that you're expected to be the next in a line that has included Yzerman, Lidstrom, and Z/Dats? That's a big load to carry.

Edited by Aethernum

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Larkin now back with Zetterberg and Abby. Tatar with Nyquist and Sheahan. We've now seeing Tatar paired with Nyquist and/or Pulkkinen on a line with Richards, Larkin, and Sheahan. It keeps not working. Maybe the difference really is the center (it isn't). Or maybe its the winger combinations (it is).

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Larkin now back with Zetterberg and Abby. Tatar with Nyquist and Sheahan. We've now seeing Tatar paired with Nyquist and/or Pulkkinen on a line with Richards, Larkin, and Sheahan. It keeps not working. Maybe the difference really is the center (it isn't). Or maybe its the winger combinations (it is).

Is it just that we don't have enough of the right type of wingers to create four effective lines? Im not good at the line combination thing but it seems like after the Z, Larkin, Abby line, all of the 2nd and 3rd line players are same.

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Larkin now back with Zetterberg and Abby. Tatar with Nyquist and Sheahan. We've now seeing Tatar paired with Nyquist and/or Pulkkinen on a line with Richards, Larkin, and Sheahan. It keeps not working. Maybe the difference really is the center (it isn't). Or maybe its the winger combinations (it is).

I'm more worried about what that 3rd line's going to look like. But yeah, having another Abdlekader in the top six would be great. Preferably the version that showed up in the first three games. But unless Jurco or Helm really start to play, I'm not sure how to fix any of the lines right now. The lack of one more power forward and the fact that almost everyone is under-achieving has sort of put Blashill over a barrel. Although some of the under-performing could be his fault too. Complex.

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Larkin now back with Zetterberg and Abby. Tatar with Nyquist and Sheahan. We've now seeing Tatar paired with Nyquist and/or Pulkkinen on a line with Richards, Larkin, and Sheahan. It keeps not working. Maybe the difference really is the center (it isn't). Or maybe its the winger combinations (it is).

When Nyquist and Tatar are together their compete level just falls off. I have no idea why. Maybe they just don't enjoy playing with each other. Idk.

When Nyquist is with Z, he tries so much harder. I notice it almost every game.

Edited by kickazz

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There are just some combos that naturally work really well with zero effort, and other need to be forced. I'd much prefer the natural chemistry.

Nyquist and Zetterberg have that. Tatar and Jurco have that. I'm sure there are other duos that fit that mold as well, but those are the two that have stood out the most to me. Larkin and Pulkkinen seemed to have some chemistry off the bat. Whether that was really a thing or just a flash in the pan, I'm not sure...

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Back to Larkin a short while. Just wanted to remark on his excellent strides. Take a look when he pushes a break next game, he looks like a running frog. Text-book stuff and of course that manifests in super speed.

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There are just some combos that naturally work really well with zero effort, and other need to be forced. I'd much prefer the natural chemistry.

Nyquist and Zetterberg have that. Tatar and Jurco have that. I'm sure there are other duos that fit that mold as well, but those are the two that have stood out the most to me. Larkin and Pulkkinen seemed to have some chemistry off the bat. Whether that was really a thing or just a flash in the pan, I'm not sure...

I agree with pretty much everything you said, but to the bolded, I very much so agree.

This isn't going to be a popular opinion because switching people who are struggling to something other than their natural position admittedly sounds like a bad idea, but I think jurco would excel at center. He's strong, he's fast, he's pretty defensively responsible and he's always made amazing passes. And he already has a slumped over posture when battling for pucks which is good for getting low on the ice for pull on face offs. And if he's bad at faceoffs, have sheahan take them, then switch responsibilities like they used to do with kariya. Sheahan is excellent net front, and good on the wall and in the corners which should make him an ideal winger to. And I've said it a lot since the injury plagued season when Jurco sheahan and tats was a dominant third line that I wish they would've kept them together. For how much success they had during the regular season, then they werent re-united again at all in the playoffs which was maddening.

Imagine the chemistry they would have had they stuck together for the last two years.

And Larkin is going to be special, he already is and I'm very, very excited to watch him grow. Not to mention once pav gets back to have him learning to take the reigns from them the way they did from y, and lidstrom. I just wish pav had more time, because I think he would be the perfect teacher for athanasiou.

Go watch aas highlights, it was like watching helm with Datsyuks hands and I would love to see Dats give him the confidence and tricks to pull these things in the NHL.

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