GDT: Detroit Red Wings @ Boston Bruins | 10/13/2018 | 3:00PM ET | FSD

[jkutswings]

Here's the highest (regular season) scoring center on each of the last ten Stanley Cup winners:

83 pts - WSH (Kuznetsov)
89 pts - PIT (Crosby)
85 pts - PIT (Crosby)
66 pts - CHI (Toews)
70 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
48* pts - CHI (Towes) (*48 games)
76 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
62 pts - BOS (Krejci)
68 pts - CHI (Toews)
113 pts - PIT (Malkin)

So, normalizing the 48 game season to an 82 point total, that's an average of 79.4 points for the highest scoring center on a Stanley Cup champion. And that's with Pittsburgh's generational guys skewing it a bit.

Point being, that while Larkin isn't a 1C right now, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect him to add 5 points to last year's total, and to add another 5 next year, which would put him right in the conversation (at least from a scoring perspective).

 

[Shaman464]

Here's the highest (regular season) scoring center on each of the last ten Stanley Cup winners:

83 pts - WSH (Kuznetsov)
89 pts - PIT (Crosby)
85 pts - PIT (Crosby)
66 pts - CHI (Toews)
70 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
48* pts - CHI (Towes) (*48 games)
76 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
62 pts - BOS (Krejci)
68 pts - CHI (Toews)
113 pts - PIT (Malkin)

So, normalizing the 48 game season to an 82 point total, that's an average of 79.4 points for the highest scoring center on a Stanley Cup champion. And that's with Pittsburgh's generational guys skewing it a bit.

Point being, that while Larkin isn't a 1C right now, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect him to add 5 points to last year's total, and to add another 5 next year, which would put him right in the conversation (at least from a scoring perspective).

The teams with the lowest scoring centers also had Norris caliber defenders, and had a core that featured scoring outside of their "#1" center. And if Larkin adds 10 points he would still be at the bottom end of that list. Also, I would scale up all those seasons to 82 games, because many of them were less than 82 games played.

1.05 pts - WSH (Kuznetsov)
1.18 ppg - PIT (Crosby)
1.07 ppg - PIT (Crosby)
0.82 ppg - CHI (Toews)
0.85 ppg - LAK (Kopitar)
1 ppg - CHI (Towes) (*48 games)
0.92- LAK (Kopitar)
0.82 ppg - BOS (Krejci)
0.9 ppg - CHI (Toews)
1.37 ppg - PIT (Malkin)

They average 0.998 ppg or fundamentally 1 ppg. Or 0.25 ppg more than Larkin's best season, and 0.42 ppg more than his career average. Larkin features as a 1B on a contender in my opinion.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

I think given where the wings will be picking, asking for 2 elite peices in the next 3 drafts isnt outrageous but only landing one wouldnt be horrible either. They should get at least one elite guy and some legit talent whther thats a top line forward or top 4 D that arent elite, that would help for sure.

One of Hughes or Cozens this year would be perfect

I'll scale this back to the next 2 drafts, as that is where we'll likely be bottom 10/lottery picks:

Best Case Scenario
1-2 elite through next 2 drafts
+ 2-4 complimentary pieces next 2 drafts
Complimentary meaning 2nd/3rd liners & 2nd/3rd pairing Dmen.

We're not too far off currently, just need a #1 & #2 Dman, #2C (Veleno?) & G.

UFA could net us a #1 (Pietrangelo) in '2020 offseason
UFA could net us a #2 (Trouba/Parayko) in '2020 offseason

By 2019-20:
Cholo & Hronek slot #3 & #4...TBD, but all early indications look good.
Sulak #5

By 2020:
& Saarijarvi/Lindstrom #6/#7....(I bet Saarijarvi makes it sometime in 2019-20)

KH/SY better be selling off the next 2 yrs & packaging picks + AA/Nike/Howie/Daley/Big E/Frk/ & Kronner...if he wants 1 last shot, even for 6th/7th pick.

 

[KJoe88]

Here's the highest (regular season) scoring center on each of the last ten Stanley Cup winners:

83 pts - WSH (Kuznetsov)
89 pts - PIT (Crosby)
85 pts - PIT (Crosby)
66 pts - CHI (Toews)
70 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
48* pts - CHI (Towes) (*48 games)
76 pts - LAK (Kopitar)
62 pts - BOS (Krejci)
68 pts - CHI (Toews)
113 pts - PIT (Malkin)

So, normalizing the 48 game season to an 82 point total, that's an average of 79.4 points for the highest scoring center on a Stanley Cup champion. And that's with Pittsburgh's generational guys skewing it a bit.

Point being, that while Larkin isn't a 1C right now, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect him to add 5 points to last year's total, and to add another 5 next year, which would put him right in the conversation (at least from a scoring perspective).

This is awesome. While not many may agree with my ‘fantasies’ about him being an 80P peak guy on a good Wings team, he IS a 70P guy and imo backed with a good core... that’s a cup winning center in the NHL.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I'm not quite sure how we got sidetracked on Larkin being the next captain and him fulfilling his duties by facing the media after losses. I think it was Custance who made a point to mention that Hank would always do the first post game interview after a loss but would let the younger guys get the easy assignments after wins. I do like the fact Larkin feels confident enough to bring some heat to the team after a disastrous game. I have to admit to being mildly concerned when you consider that the previous two captains had well-established reputations and credibility that Larkin clearly lacks right now. He could potentially get some blowback but so much of this roster is just total fail that I wouldn't be too concerned if Vanek or Nielsen - just as totally hypothetical examples - took exception to Larkin calling on the team to improve their effort.

Just as it was clear Z would take on the mantle from Lidstrom it seems to be well understood Larkin will be the next captain. If Larkin feels comfortable in this role as a guy who can hold other guys accountable well then good on him.

As to the long term I'd love to go down that Pittsburgh path of having two elite centers. So when we draft Hughes you can build around Hughes and Larkin the way the Pens have built around Crosby and Malkin. Hughes can be the high scoring absurd skill guy and Larkin can be the guy who plays with grit and gets put on a line with Hughes when we need a score.

 

[Shaman464]

This is awesome. While not many may agree with my ‘fantasies’ about him being an 80P peak guy on a good Wings team, he IS a 70P guy and imo backed with a good core... that’s a cup winning center in the NHL.

Read my post that follows it. Points are similar but ppg wasn’t. Larkin still is significantly behind those centers.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

I see Larkin in a bit of a different light this season. He looks really poised and mature as a player. He’s definitely putting the weight of the franchise on his shoulders and I have a lot of respect for that.

 

[ricky0034]

This is awesome. While not many may agree with my ‘fantasies’ about him being an 80P peak guy on a good Wings team, he IS a 70P guy and imo backed with a good core... that’s a cup winning center in the NHL.

in order to be an 80 point guy Larkin needs to 1: continue to be the guy he was last year and not revert back to being more like the guy he was prior to that and 2: become a better powerplay player

if he can do both of those things then people that think he can't hit those numbers when last year he would have hit 70 with very little help and almost entirely through even strength scoring if he hadn't happened to be unlucky(only had a 6.9% shooting percentage even after it started correcting a bit at the end of the season) are being a bit silly

but there's definitely an if there

 

[Gyldenlove]

This is outstanding. One or two seasons of a full tank, hopefully leaving us with a top D and top F pick and the playoffs are going to come back.

I much prefer some good honest losses, playing the younger players to the wishy washy season we had last year.

 

[TheMule93]

This is outstanding. One or two seasons of a full tank, hopefully leaving us with a top D and top F pick and the playoffs are going to come back.

I much prefer some good honest losses, playing the younger players to the wishy washy season we had last year.

Yeah I'm just sitting here loving some of the young players and taking the losses with a smile. Seeing Vancouver and Montreal have good starts has been very encouraging.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Yeah I'm just sitting here loving some of the young players and taking the losses with a smile. Seeing Vancouver and Montreal have good starts has been very encouraging.

If we can find ourselves 6-8 points back of teams like Montreal coming out of the start, that could make a huge difference at the end of the year when picks get distributed by a couple of points.

 

[TCNorthstars]

You and Tyler Wright would get along well. It’s that thinking alone that has lead the team to draft crap players just cause of their size (Mantha, Ras) rather than skill set.

The Joe Thornton age of hockey is over. In this NHL, the key to victories are small, speedy snipers.

Top 10 goal scorers last year:
Ovechkin 6'3"
Laine 6'5"
Karlsson 6'1"
Staal 6'4"
Malkin 6'3"
McDavid 6'1"
Lee 6'3"
Seguin 6'1"
MacKinnon 6'0"
Kutcherov 5'11"

Not seeing a ton of small speedy snipers in this list

 

[newfy]

I'll scale this back to the next 2 drafts, as that is where we'll likely be bottom 10/lottery picks:

Best Case Scenario
1-2 elite through next 2 drafts
+ 2-4 complimentary pieces next 2 drafts
Complimentary meaning 2nd/3rd liners & 2nd/3rd pairing Dmen.

We're not too far off currently, just need a #1 & #2 Dman, #2C (Veleno?) & G.

UFA could net us a #1 (Pietrangelo) in '2020 offseason
UFA could net us a #2 (Trouba/Parayko) in '2020 offseason

By 2019-20:
Cholo & Hronek slot #3 & #4...TBD, but all early indications look good.
Sulak #5

By 2020:
& Saarijarvi/Lindstrom #6/#7....(I bet Saarijarvi makes it sometime in 2019-20)

KH/SY better be selling off the next 2 yrs & packaging picks + AA/Nike/Howie/Daley/Big E/Frk/ & Kronner...if he wants 1 last shot, even for 6th/7th pick.

Yeah I didnt really even take UFA into account either. If they get one more elite piece in the draft and a lot of solid contributors like you said the 2nd line types, I think signing a Pietro type player could happen. And it would be enough to contend. I would prefer 2 elite pieces and Pietro obviously but beggars cant be choosers either!

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

This is outstanding. One or two seasons of a full tank, hopefully leaving us with a top D and top F pick and the playoffs are going to come back.

I much prefer some good honest losses, playing the younger players to the wishy washy season we had last year.

We are going to be on the bottom for much longer than one or two seasons. I really don't know why people keep thinking it will be a quick turn. What you are watching now is the new normal and will be the normal for a while.