Injury Report: Larkin

[PelagicJoe]

Hopefully Larkin isn't hurt too badly. Get well soon, captain. We get Vrana back in a month, so we got that going for us.
Stevie can work his draft magic, maybe sign Filip Forsberg over the Summer to add to the offense.

 

[19 for president]

Honestly this may not be the worst thing for the team to finish outside the playoffs and get us a top 10 pick so we can hopefully get that 2nd center. At least if it is due to injuries to your top 2 players, it isn't quite as demoralizing long term for the team.

I think we'll likely start to see Ray and Seider start to slow a bit in this 2nd half as well with it being their rookie seasons.

We've been a Seider/ Larkin injury away from being a lottery team all season. We don't really have any center or D depth yet.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

We weren’t going to make it this year - they are and always were at least eight teams that were considerably better than we are and that’s okay! Remember what most of us said before the season even started: boy, I hope it’s not as bad as it was last year and let’s get the kids some time!

We are light years ahead of last year and our two most important prospects as rookies are in a three way Calder Race.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

ARGH!!!

This isn't another neck injury I hope.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery. Larkin has been fun to watch this season and has become a real leader for this team.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

We weren’t going to make it this year - they are and always were at least eight teams that were considerably better than we are and that’s okay! Remember what most of us said before the season even started: boy, I hope it’s not as bad as it was last year and let’s get the kids some time!

We are light years ahead of last year and our two most important prospects as rookies are in a three way Calder Race.

Yup! Exactly this.

I think a good start and a skewed schedule gave some false hope regarding the playoffs. But the Wings are still basically a one line team, it's just that with Raymond that line got much better. And Seider made the defense better.

After the last few seasons if you'd told us the Wings would be a .500 team this far into the season and our rookies were playing this well, I think we all would've been happy.

With Covid protocols and injuries and a shortened schedule, it could get ugly from here on out but this team still needs more picks and prospects.

And to the topic, please let this not be a concussion or neck issue with Larkin.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Tyler Bertuzzi on the ice at Red Wings morning skate, Dylan Larkin not per Max Bultman

 

[Gniwder]

This. If folks thought that being .500+ this far into the season was going to deter Yzerman from making the moves he feels he needs to make for the team to be competitive for the long haul, then I'm guessing you still need to purge the memory of Ken Holland from your brains.

I laughed, but you could've said that in a nicer way.

Stevie was a seller in Tampa even when they made the playoffs. He's always looking long term, sometimes to a detriment when going for a Cup.

 

[lhsgolf19]

Great News!


Doesn't seem too bad

 

[golffuul]

I laughed, but you could've said that in a nicer way.

Stevie was a seller in Tampa even when they made the playoffs. He's always looking long term, sometimes to a detriment when going for a Cup.

I didn't realize I said that in a bad way. People seem to think we are still in the Holland Era. I understand people are still "traumatized" from the last 5 years or so of not winning, but at some point you have to look at what Yzerman has done, both here and Tampa, and be patient enough to trust his ability to build the team.

 

[14ari13]

This. If folks thought that being .500+ this far into the season was going to deter Yzerman from making the moves he feels he needs to make for the team to be competitive for the long haul, then I'm guessing you still need to purge the memory of Ken Holland from your brains.

People blame Holland and then they want Yzerman to do exactly what Holland did. Lol.

Honestly this may not be the worst thing for the team to finish outside the playoffs and get us a top 10 pick so we can hopefully get that 2nd center. At least if it is due to injuries to your top 2 players, it isn't quite as demoralizing long term for the team.

I think we'll likely start to see Ray and Seider start to slow a bit in this 2nd half as well with it being their rookie seasons.

We've been a Seider/ Larkin injury away from being a lottery team all season. We don't really have any center or D depth yet.

Raymond has slowed down last 10 games, he gets assists, but that is far from his top game earlier this season.

 

[golffuul]

People blame Holland and then they want Yzerman to do exactly what Holland did. Lol.



Raymond has slowed down last 10 games, he gets assists, but that is far from his top game earlier this season.

Yeah. People do get stuck with Holland-itis

And Raymond is definitely trying to find the adjustments he needs to make to get back to goal scoring. But he has always been a playmaking winger, so I expect him to be more of a 20 goal/40-50 assist guy, which is pretty much right where he's playing currently. Which is scary, because that means as he gets stronger and more experienced he should put up some pretty crazy numbers. Didn't help for games 15-30 they stuck him on the right flank of the PP in no man's land, when he should have been on the left flank.

 

[Coachcorner]

Great News!


Doesn't seem too bad

What a SOULJA This guy just keeps on getting better.....

 

[Gniwder]

I didn't realize I said that in a bad way. People seem to think we are still in the Holland Era. I understand people are still "traumatized" from the last 5 years or so of not winning, but at some point you have to look at what Yzerman has done, both here and Tampa, and be patient enough to trust his ability to build the team.

Not offensive by any means, but very snide remark. Not that I care, like I said it made me laugh a bit.

But seriously, looking at Stevie's track record at Tampa, he isn't going to do a rental. If there's a long term piece like Vrana he'll do it. Of course that had more to do with McLellan wanting Mantha and willing to overpay.

 

[14ari13]

Yeah. People do get stuck with Holland-itis

And Raymond is definitely trying to find the adjustments he needs to make to get back to goal scoring. But he has always been a playmaking winger, so I expect him to be more of a 20 goal/40-50 assist guy, which is pretty much right where he's playing currently. Which is scary, because that means as he gets stronger and more experienced he should put up some pretty crazy numbers. Didn't help for games 15-30 they stuck him on the right flank of the PP in no man's land, when he should have been on the left flank.

I think Raymond has hit the wall. Last game vs sharks we are 5 on 3 and he shoots the puck in. That shows to me he is mentally exhausted and we all knew it was coming. We will see when he turns it around.

 

[golffuul]

I think Raymond has hit the wall. Last game vs sharks we are 5 on 3 and he shoots the puck in. That shows to me he is mentally exhausted and we all knew it was coming. We will see when he turns it around.

I agree to an extent. There are three parts to that "wall", though. The first is the sheer number of games. He is approaching the most games he has played in his career in any season, let alone at the NHL level and without the massive amount of spacing to a schedule that the SHL has. The second is managing your game amidst a dynamic/changing roster, such as what Detroit's is where even though his line-mates are the same (barring injuries), he still has to manage who he follows on the ice as well as his place in the offensive and defensive systems and how the coaches want to deploy him (especially on the Power Play). The final part of the wall is how other teams adjust to his play in terms of matchups and defensive structure/style.

He's currently having to deal with all three at the same time, currently, and both he and Seider look like they just don't have the consistent energy or the experience to elevate their respective games any further.

But that's what happens in the NHL and why coming over from Europe isn't so much about adjusting to the size of the ice as it is the demands of the schedule and all of its ebbs and flows.

 

[Pavels Dog]

He's currently having to deal with all three at the same time, currently, and both he and Seider look like they just don't have the consistent energy or the experience to elevate their respective games any further.

Agree in large parts on Raymond, completely disagree on Seider who I think has played some of his best hockey lately, starting to look more comfortable doing the bait-and-reverse hitting, shooting more, actively joining the offense, and just all in all being one of the few bright spots even on nights where the rest of the team is flat.

As for Raymond I would guess the travel is one of the bigger things wearing him out. SHL schedule isn't that much easier, but the travel is. Mo is experienced from AHL among other things so he's been through more of a grind in the past.

 

[GMR]

Durability has been an issue for Larkin recently. Sucks because he's been playing well.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Agree in large parts on Raymond, completely disagree on Seider who I think has played some of his best hockey lately, starting to look more comfortable doing the bait-and-reverse hitting, shooting more, actively joining the offense, and just all in all being one of the few bright spots even on nights where the rest of the team is flat.

As for Raymond I would guess the travel is one of the bigger things wearing him out. SHL schedule isn't that much easier, but the travel is. Mo is experienced from AHL among other things so he's been through more of a grind in the past.

As the team around him has looked worse over the course of the season Seider has looked to get better over the same stretch. I can't speak about the most recent game against the Sharks but Seider's play overall looks to be improving from the start of the season.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Yea man, Blashill is keeping this team from the playoffs and it's completely sad.

You know better than this. I don’t need to explain more, but I’m referring to the post in general, not the content of the post

 

[Gniwder]

I think Raymond has hit the wall. Last game vs sharks we are 5 on 3 and he shoots the puck in. That shows to me he is mentally exhausted and we all knew it was coming. We will see when he turns it around.

It was sorta expected, looking at his stats, he hasn't played more than 47 league games in a season. (Not counting tourneys)

I think the other problem was his limited usage in the SHL, without looking it up I think he's getting close to double the ice time in a much bigger role. Blash on the other hand uses the first line too much because that's the only line that can score. He might need to start managing Ray Ray's ice time.

 

[GreatGordie9]

It was sorta expected, looking at his stats, he hasn't played more than 47 league games in a season. (Not counting tourneys)

I think the other problem was his limited usage in the SHL, without looking it up I think he's getting close to double the ice time in a much bigger role. Blash on the other had uses the first line too much because that's the only line that can score. He might need to start managing Ray Ray's ice time.

If the NHL players had gone to the Olympics it would have given Raymond the break he needed. You're quite right about his minutes and they must be managed properly.

 

[GreatGordie9]

Hopefully Larkin isn't hurt too badly. Get well soon, captain. We get Vrana back in a month, so we got that going for us.
Stevie can work his draft magic, maybe sign Filip Forsberg over the Summer to add to the offense.

I would like to see Hertl as a Wing.

 

[Henkka]

Blash on the other hand uses the first line too much because that's the only line that can score. He might need to start managing Ray Ray's ice time.

Yeah, he should get 2nd line duties.

Maybe Vrana takes the 1st line role, when he comes back and we'll make a different look. 100% sure guy is full on energy and has had skating training like crazy, because the shoulder injury won't limit that. He will be a MAD skater when returns.

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Vrana
Fabbri - Suter - Raymond

These guys have the highest forward overall minutes, if I merge current and last season.

Definitely worth to try.

Ps. And after that, please put that Veleno-Rasmussen-Zadina together as 3rd line, if that Traverse City magic, once seen before corona era, could reborn.

These are my Top3 lines I projected already at summer. Only problem there was that I had an X (at RW position) at Top2 lines. Coudn't predict who that would be.

Since the season started, it has been clear, that it's Raymond.

 

[briggzee1]

Larkin on the ice this morning so that's a good sign.

 

[NickH8]

Yeah, he should get 2nd line duties.

Maybe Vrana takes the 1st line role, when he comes back and we'll make a different look. 100% sure guy is full on energy and has had skating training like crazy, because the shoulder injury won't limit that. He will be a MAD skater when returns.

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Vrana
Fabbri - Suter - Raymond

These guys have the highest forward overall minutes, if I merge current and last season.

Definitely worth to try.

Ps. And after that, please put that Veleno-Rasmussen-Zadina together as 3rd line, if that Traverse City magic, once seen before corona era, could reborn.

These are my Top3 lines I projected already at summer. Only problem there was that I had an X (at RW position) at Top2 lines. Coudn't predict who that would be.

Since the season started, it has been clear, that it's Raymond.

That would be a nice top 6. As long as Raymond stays on the top powerplay unit I'm happy with it. Bert net front, Dylan bumper, Vrana and Raymond on the flanks and Mo point.
I would like to see what Raymond can do 5v5 against lesser competition, but keep in mind he'll also have lesser linemates.
It's a good sign that in his slump he's still maintaining an almost point per game pace.