Dylan Larkin looks good so far

[Frk It]

I was expecting Mantha to do well this year, but I have to say I am impressed with how Larkin has played so far. It looks like he put in a lot of work in the off-season. He seems to be seeing the ice better, more patient with the puck, and a bit stronger on the puck as well. Playing 19:14 a game so far, he's winning 51 % of his faceoffs, and his 10 assists are a tie for 5th best in the league.

Last year he seemed a bit outmatched, but this year I am very happy with what I have seen from him so far.

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[TheMule93]

In terms of 5v5 play, Larkin and Mantha have been our best players in terms of GF% and CF%. AA has been good but its only a 3 game sample size. Hell, 13 games is a small sample size for the rest as well but its all we've got so far.

This is a great site for tracking all of our player's stats http://www.naturalstattrick.com/pla...toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=82&lines=single

Its encouraging to see them look good in the eye test and on the stat sheet.

 

[Beltv]

His hard work last night created the Mantha goal as he took the puck from Ekman Larsson on that play. I have to agree that he is playing very well. I hope he can play 82 games at this pace. I really like the kid line.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I was expecting Mantha to do well this year, but I have to say I am impressed with how Larkin has played so far. It looks like he put in a lot of work in the off-season. He seems to be seeing the ice better, more patient with the puck, and a bit stronger on the puck as well. Playing 19:14 a game so far, he's winning 51 % of his faceoffs, and his 10 assists are a tie for 5th best in the league.

Last year he seemed a bit outmatched, but this year I am very happy with what I have seen from him so far.

Yeah I think this line is encouraging. Larkin can be the setup guy and is a solid two way player. Kinda dreading adding Abby to his wing - you know it's coming - but I will enjoy this line for the time being.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I was never really worried about Larkin, you could tell even last year that it was less a case of him not having potential and more a case of not being quite there physically. This year he looks stronger on his skates, stronger on the puck, and more mature in the way he's thinking the game. It would be nice to see him get his goalscoring touch going a little bit, but he is now living up to the potential we saw in his rookie season as an underrated playmaker and just a constant threat out there with his speed. The way he forced a turnover on OEL last night to set up the Mantha goal was an example of his hard work paying off.

 

[Ezekial]

His play has surpassed the ceiling of my expectation.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

In terms of 5v5 play, Larkin and Mantha have been our best players in terms of GF% and CF%. AA has been good but its only a 3 game sample size. Hell, 13 games is a small sample size for the rest as well but its all we've got so far.

This is a great site for tracking all of our player's stats http://www.naturalstattrick.com/pla...toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=82&lines=single

Its encouraging to see them look good in the eye test and on the stat sheet.

Does the site do team stats as well?

 

[TheMule93]

Does the site do team stats as well?

Ya look at the top left and select teams

http://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php

Its also got stats for each game

http://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20172018&game=20179

 

[Frk It]

I was never really worried about Larkin, you could tell even last year that it was less a case of him not having potential and more a case of not being quite there physically.

The lack of assists was a legitimate concern in regards to his potential. It seemed like he was trying to do too much by himself last year. This year he looks night and day better in regards to using his teammates and being more patient with the puck.

 

[Redder Winger]

I was expecting Mantha to do well this year, but I have to say I am impressed with how Larkin has played so far. It looks like he put in a lot of work in the off-season. He seems to be seeing the ice better, more patient with the puck, and a bit stronger on the puck as well. Playing 19:14 a game so far, he's winning 51 % of his faceoffs, and his 10 assists are a tie for 5th best in the league.

Last year he seemed a bit outmatched, but this year I am very happy with what I have seen from him so far.

Larkin looks improved.
I like that he's a bit of a puckhound, and that leads to opportunities.
But I also think there's been a lot of puck luck in his stats, and that's bound to run out.

 

[Redder Winger]

His hard work last night created the Mantha goal as he took the puck from Ekman Larsson on that play. I have to agree that he is playing very well. I hope he can play 82 games at this pace. I really like the kid line.

It wasn't only Larkin's hardwork.
AA made a good play on the wall to get the puck out. Larkin made a good play on OEL and a good pass to AA. AA made the right pass to Mantha. Mantha made no mistake.

 

[Bench]

The lack of assists was a legitimate concern in regards to his potential. It seemed like he was trying to do too much by himself last year. This year he looks night and day better in regards to using his teammates and being more patient with the puck.

No kidding. 10 assists already through 13 games. Last year he had 15 over 80 games. That's about a 400% improvement. Now I don't expect that number to hold, because it would mean Larkin would be netting over 60 assists this year (only 2 players last year hit 60 assists - Backstrom and McDavid), but it's nice to see something encouraging and progressive out of a core young player.

 

[theYman]

He has more points than McDavid now. Larkin is coming along well.

 

[Martinez]

He's also been solid on the pk

 

[RedWingzz]

Yeah, he's been good. He's moving his feet at all times, and besides the Canucks game where everyone took the night off, he's been great. My only complaints are 1)too many penalties. The slashes are getting called, so stop slashing. 2) Too much embellishment. He's still young, but at times he dives a bit too much for my liking. Other than that he's been great.

More ice time for 72 71 39!

 

[HisNoodliness]

It wasn't only Larkin's hardwork.
AA made a good play on the wall to get the puck out. Larkin made a good play on OEL and a good pass to AA. AA made the right pass to Mantha. Mantha made no mistake.

It's so nice having an exciting line like this one. Larkin and Mantha have been awesome so far this year. Frk worked well with them before and AA is doing well now. Hopefully this keeps up.

 

[jkutswings]

He's had a hot start, but so has much of the league. As of today, there are 53 NHL players at a point per game or better. (For reference, Larkin has 12 points in 13 games.)

Let's see how things are going in another month or two.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Larkin has learned to slow the game down when they backoff too much. He also has had better shot selection thus far in my opinion. He is reading the game at a much higher level. Professional sports is often about adjustments, teams will adjust to how he is playing now and it should allow him more net drive in response to that as they have to get closer to him on entries. But I am glad he has made adjustments.

When the Wings talk about people working at things and being rink rats and liking their character makeup and a lot of people roll their eyes this is a part of that logic. Dylan Larkin's makeup was that of somebody that was likely to bounce back from his rocky sophomore campaign. This is a key when looking at Rasmussen as well, in terms of having an elite ability/attribute at something and what adjustments they make to play off that and grow as hockey players.

They are figuring things out, but I love the Kid line, I think it has a legitimate shot at staying together. It has the potential to be a dynamic line. Really happy with a lot of our younger players out of the gate. For me this year is more about a lot of guys individual growth, in particular the young guys and if that line can stay together and be a legitimate top 6 line in the NHL for the duration of the campaign that is a huge thing for this organization moving forward.

 

[Obe2kenobe]

I'm not sure sure Mantha, Larkin and AA like the "Kid line" label for their line. Mantha was quoted as saying they don't want to be known as the "Kids" in a interview a few days ago when talking about trying to make a impact with that line.
I remember watching them together in training camp a few years back thinking they could be a good line. Nice to see them doing well. Let's hope Blash is a man of his word and keeps them together for the foreseeable future like he said he would.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I'm not sure sure Mantha, Larkin and AA like the "Kid line" label for their line. Mantha was quoted as saying they don't want to be known as the "Kids" in a interview a few days ago when talking about trying to make a impact with that line.
I remember watching them together in training camp a few years back thinking they could be a good line. Nice to see them doing well. Let's hope Blash is a man of his word and keeps them together for the foreseeable future like he said he would.

Mantha can dislike it all he wants, that's what they are.

 

[Obe2kenobe]

Mantha can dislike it all he wants, that's what they are.

True, Mantha and AA are 23 and Larkin 21 that's still "kids" to a lot of us. Can't help thinking they could use a better name for their line though. The Fast and the furious? D- boss and the snip show?
I don't know anybody have any ideas???

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I'm not sure sure Mantha, Larkin and AA like the "Kid line" label for their line. Mantha was quoted as saying they don't want to be known as the "Kids" in a interview a few days ago when talking about trying to make a impact with that line.
I remember watching them together in training camp a few years back thinking they could be a good line. Nice to see them doing well. Let's hope Blash is a man of his word and keeps them together for the foreseeable future like he said he would.

Overtime we can rename it. I honestly still doubt AA is here long-term.

But them staying together is up to them. More games like the one against the Coyotes and they are not getting ripped apart.

The other part that is key is we need other lines occasionally being good. Part of the reason Datsyuk and Zetterberg had trouble staying together even though every single off-season Babs would say that was his plan is we need more than one line going. We need Nyquist and Tatar to mesh with Zetterberg and they should. But we need at least a couple lines going and I hope the Language and Lit line (somebody will get where I am pulling this from, this one is way too nerdy to win out) stays together long enough to come up with something other than the Kid line.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

One of the things I really like is Mantha and Larkin have big buy in on being the guys thus far.

The comment about AA using his teammates more was interesting the other day. They are saying the right things and their actions are right on the money on the ice thus far. We have wanted them to be building blocks for this organization, but to date a lot of that has just been our desire. I see both Mantha and Larkin stepping up in this regard early in the season. Saying the right things and doing the right things it is impressive. I only hope in crunch time Blashill starts calling their number more often. Use Z as the extra man on with the three kids, Green and one of Nyquist/Tatar/Daley when we are trying to tie games up late with the empty net.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Before AA signed I was 100% sure he would bolt from the team first chance he gets, but wonder if playing with Mantha and Larkin most of the season will rekindle his interest in playing for the team.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Before AA signed I was 100% sure he would bolt from the team first chance he gets, but wonder if playing with Mantha and Larkin most of the season will rekindle his interest in playing for the team.

Just my opinion, but I don't see AA sticking around a whole lot longer. I want him to play as well as he can, but there were rumblings in terms of him at times in the past. I have a feeling that holdout is a death blow. But I guess if we change management and the coaching staff like a lot of us anticipate this off-season it could help him. I don't think this was going to be his choice to leave, they might sense that and it is a part of why he seems at odds at times, but if somebody hit their asking price I doubt they would think twice before shipping him.

It will be fascinating to watch, if they start deploying them a lot those guys should get pretty excited. As Howard said they are close off the ice as well as a group. Larkin and Mantha both talk about staying here for years, Larkin is pretty obvious in terms of hometown kid and likely future captain. I think Larkin is the key cog for us going forward. Mantha is the most talented of our youngsters, but I see Larkin as the leader and I hope he keeps growing that role. I think he is pretty natural at it, but it is important that like Datsyuk and Zetterberg he wants to improve not only himself but those that surround them.