Prospect Info: 15th overall — C Dylan Larkin: Larkin signs 3 year entry deal

[Pavels Dog]

listening to Mackenzie and button rave about fabbri is.... troubling.

clearly a home run potential prospect.

They rave about every single prospect.

A "safe" pick is what we needed. We are scary thin on center depth in our system. We need some security. We can draft some "boom or bust" type centers in later rounds and/or in upcoming drafts.

 

[Shaman464]

Doubt he's ever more than a second-line centre, and Sheahan has that role basically gift-wrapped for him. Oh well. Maybe Sheahan gets good enough to move up to No. 1 centre and Larkin slots in as No. 2 someday. Not a wow pick, but not a horrible pick. Safe.

It feels like Ferraro 2.0 if the Helm with hands comparison holds. Same basic size and skill set it seems. Underwhelming pick at 20, a bunt for a base hit at 15.

 

[ChadS]

3 months older than Eichel, you mean?

Yeah, older of course... Should be sleeping at 4:30am.

 

[SoupNazi]

It feels like Ferraro 2.0 if the Helm with hands comparison holds. Same basic size and skill set it seems. Underwhelming pick at 20, a bunt for a base hit at 15.

It feels like Helm with hands is a second line center. Ferraro will be lucky to crack the NHL roster for us next year...or anywhere, for that matter.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

It feels like Ferraro 2.0 if the Helm with hands comparison holds. Same basic size and skill set it seems. Underwhelming pick at 20, a bunt for a base hit at 15.

Don't forget that Ferraro fell quite a bit. There were worries about his overall skill level. Larkin doesn't have those same knocks.

 

[J-Swift]

listening to Mackenzie and button rave about fabbri is.... troubling.

clearly a home run potential prospect.

Mackenzie and Button both had Fabbri ranked lower than Larkin. And the TSN panel was raving over Larkin, too...

 

[Kronwalled55]

I'm hoping he turns into a player like Pacioretty.

 

[Boomhower]

Older



Good thing we weren't the only ones to pass on him then.

wings had a chance

or a bust.

why ? he was winning ohl playoffs mvp as a 17 year old against 19 and 20 year olds.
Larkin was playing 2nd line on a 17 year old select team... seems more likely to bust to me.

 

[Point Shot]

It feels like Ferraro 2.0 if the Helm with hands comparison holds. Same basic size and skill set it seems. Underwhelming pick at 20, a bunt for a base hit at 15.

In fairness, there aren't really any star-quality centres on the board at 15th. This is not a very star-studded draft, from the looks of it.

Probably the best they could do. They picked a bad year to suck enough to draft at 15.

 

[Shaman464]

Don't forget that Ferraro fell quite a bit. There were worries about his overall skill level. Larkin doesn't have those same knocks.

The scouting reports I see optimistically see him as a second line center, safe bet to be a bottom 6 forward with speed. Not huge, but strong, shoots pretty well, leader, etc. That to me was pretty much the same things I heard about Ferraro in 2009.

 

[Shaman464]

In fairness, there aren't really any star-quality centres on the board at 15th. This is not a very star-studded draft, from the looks of it.

Probably the best they could do. They picked a bad year to suck enough to draft at 15.

The one year Holland doesn't trade down and get back the second he wasted.

 

[Frk It]

I'm just going to root hard for this kid.

Sheahan didn't have the most impressive scouting report, but his offensive game came on display a bit later.

Bertuzzi had some skill that a lot of folks missed.

I liked some other options better... But I'm not going to get upset about this pick. We really do genuinely know a fraction as much as the scouts about these kids. They're not perfect, but I trust them more than elite prospects or some random websites.

 

[Mister Ed]

This draft didn't have elite-level talent available after the top-6 and Tuch was what the Red Wings needed so they drafted him.

Mcann would've been a good after too, he looks like Babcock.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

wings had a chance

why ? he was winning ohl playoffs mvp as a 17 year old against 19 and 20 year olds.
Larkin was playing 2nd line on a 17 year old select team... seems more likely to bust to me.

Who plays 1st line center on that team?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I know there is the long end angle and I am sure Detroit puts him there. But for a kid that plays his game and has his maturity, I would like to see him in Erie. I know that probably doesn't fit the developmental goals, but hey that is my opinion. After being second banana to Eichel (and he is a reason not the biggest but a reason that first line gets to do what they want) he could take that role behind McDavid.

The kid scored like he did with a bum bicep. We will see, but the idea he has no ceiling is incorrect.

By the way the Wings have made elite speed a huge priority lately which is something I like a lot with the direction of the league and especially our new home in the East where there is more space to take advantage of. We are building a nightmare transition team.

 

[Bench]

He's who I wanted. I'm partial to two-way centers with skill who can play against the other teams best players and win faceoffs. He may not be a PPG guy like Z or D, but he could be like Bergeron or Kesler in terms of point totals and two-way play.

You and I are exactly on the same page. These are the types of guys I covet. It's why I was banging the Kesler drum so loud all summer. It's why I think Boston is so hard to play against every game. It's exactly what the Wings have been missing in their top 6.

If Larkin pans out as a "safe" pick and 2nd line center, that's an excellent selection from number 15. I think people forget how many guys don't even pan out at 15 and later.

There isn't anybody taken 15 or later that's a surefire 1st line player.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Who plays 1st line center on that team?

Yup a kid that goes #1 this year if he is eligible and has more talent than anybody in this draft.

 

[Shaman464]

I know there is the long end angle and I am sure Detroit puts him there. But for a kid that plays his game and has his maturity, I would like to see him in Erie. I know that probably doesn't fit the developmental goals, but hey that is my opinion. After being second banana to Eichel (and he is a reason not the biggest but a reason that first line gets to do what they want) he could take that role behind McDavid.

The kid scored like he did with a bum bicep. We will see, but the idea he has no ceiling is incorrect.

By the way the Wings have made elite speed a huge priority lately which is something I like a lot with the direction of the league and especially our new home in the East where there is more space to take advantage of. We are building a nightmare transition team.

Eh, their back end isn't good enough for that kind of team. They really lack the d core needed to make the first passes that make that kind of team successful.

 

[detredWINgs]

The one year Holland doesn't trade down and get back the second he wasted.

This is what it feels like. Ugh.

 

[Shaman464]

You and I are exactly on the same page. These are the types of guys I covet. It's why I was banging the Kesler drum so loud all summer. It's why I think Boston is so hard to play against every game. It's exactly what the Wings have been missing in their top 6.

If Larkin pans out as a "safe" pick and 2nd line center, that's an excellent selection from number 15. I think people forget how many guys don't even pan out at 15 and later.

There isn't anybody taken 15 or later that's a surefire 1st line player.

I would have traded down and drafted a defenseman honestly, DeAngelo was a very intriguing player that would have helped bolstered our D prospects.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

The Wings are on the Boston model people. They have elite wingers (or that is the position we hope is like that in the future) and what they have is horse two way center prospects.

Sheahan and Larkin have skill, but what they will allow is players to fly the zone, are incredible board guys and have positional sense that will drive other teams insane. We will see, but Larkin is a good pick and he fits the organizational thrust of speed. You don't worry about Sheahan or Larkin keeping pace with our wingers and that will be important finding centers that don't get stretched the same way most would with the aggressive pushes Nyquist, Tatar and Mantha are capable of, it is a little harder than most think even at the NHL level.

 

[KJoe88]

I really like this pick. Like Bench, I was also an advocate for Kesler and like players who are smart offensively and defensively.

Two-way centers are a recipe for success.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I think we need to forget that the Wings didn't draft this guy to be a low-skill depth player. They obviously believe that he has upside to his game. I know that's in contradiction to what we want to believe, but I'm going with the scouts who have actually seen him play.

As long as you pretend you know more about this player than the Wings do, you're going to be unhappy with it. I'm saying: give the scouts a chance. They've earned it.

 

[Mister Ed]

Also, in the combine, Larkin scored in the top 10 in the VO2 Max test. Here's an interesting tidbit :

If a top rated talent all year shows up on this test you can gather that (A) he has the natural skills to make the NHL, (B) he has a high genetic potential to be fit on ice (even if it is only part of the value), and (C) his conditioning is not a question mark and already there. Signs pointing to the ultimate draft pick if there continues to be an established trend.

http://www.draftbuzzhockey.com/#!dissecting-the-2014-nhl-draft-combine/c1468

All in all, we'll see. I trust the scouts and after what they did, seeing the talent in Mantha last year, I trust Larkin will impress next year in Michigan and as an other poster alluded to, Detroit's management will be able to monitor him close.

 

[Point Shot]

I'd have gone with Fabbri, if it were me, but Kenneth obviously wants bigger guys these days. As it is, second-line centre is this guy's ceiling, and that's a maybe.

That's my optimistic take. Realistically, yeah, looks like a bust.

Maybe it was a bad idea to hire a head amateur scout from the freaking Blue Jackets.