Larkin to start season with Red Wings
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill says Dylan Larkin has made the team out of training camp. Wow.
Per Ansar Khan from MLive:
https://twitter.com/AnsarKhanMLive/status/651045735241248768
October 5th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
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October 5th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
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October 5th, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
That Larkin deserved a spot on the big team. I'm still guessing he's either going to play 3rd line / 4th line minutes with 2nd unit PP time, or if they really think he's worth it, he'll play 2nd line minutes with a veteran C and LW.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:03 AM ^
He is actually starting the season on the top line with Zetterberg and Abdelkader. Biggest question is what they do with the roster when Helm gets back. Most likely will DFA Anderson.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:09 AM ^
Then we're looking at:
(LW-C-RW)
1 line: Abdelkader, Zetterberg, Larkin
2 line: Nyquist, Richards, Franzen
3 line: Miller, Glendening, Cleary
4 line: Jurco, Sheahan/Andersson, Tatar
October 5th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
Lines they were skating with today:
1: Abdelkader, Zetterberg, Larkin
2: Nyquist, Glendening (Richards is out today), Tatar
3: Franzen, Sheahan, Jurco
4: Miller, Anderson, Ferraro
My guess is Glendening drops to Andersons spot when Richards gets back from Chicago (picking up his ring). Pulk and Anderson are the extras for now.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
Helm gets back one of the two (Pulk / Anderson) get sent back to GR, and when Datsyuk gets back, the other? That's a lot of young talent going on waiver wire-- I'd hope we make a trade instead of having one of those guys get poached by Florida / Buffalo / Edmonton.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
No way Pulk goes on the waiver wire. He would be poached in about 2 seconds. Anderson's new contract makes it possible to bury pretty much the entire thing in GR, and honestly, wouldn't be a huge blow if someone did claim him.
No idea what you do when Datsyuk gets back though. Either Larkin goes down, Miller/Ferraro gets DFA'd, or you move someone. Possibly banking on the fact that you rarely will have a full healthy forward group. Franzen is a head hit away from being on LTIR the rest of his career.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:34 AM ^
Thanks for the info.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:43 AM ^
Cleary on the 3rd line, Jurco/Sheahan and TATAR on the fourth line?! No way that happens. I'm hoping for:
1: Abdelkader, Zetterberg, Nyquist
2: Tatar, Richards, Franzen
3: Jurco, Sheahan, Larkin
4: Miller, Glendening, Pulkkinen
October 5th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^
So far Larkin is on the top line so I would say Franzen will be on the 3rd with She and Jurco, with Nyquist as the 2nd line winger and Larkin up top.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
I don't think we would have put him on the roster to play 4th line minutes; top line play in Grand Rapids would be much better for his development than that. Ive believed that if he makes the squad he is at the very least going to be put on the 3rd line.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
And it sounded like at that time if Larkin was going to make the team, he was going to be slotted at least 3rd line minutes. So I'd pencil him in for 3rd line and 2nd unit PP. Also, with 16 NHL forwards on the roster before Larkin, I'm thinking there's going to be a trade or two in the works so as to not lose a forward to waivers for nothing.
Based on the linked pdf (http://redwings.nhl.com/v2/ext/pdf_files/Red%20Wings%20Make%20Roster%20Moves4.pdf), looks like the wings need to cut 4 more to get down to 23. Guessing 1 defensemen, so that means three more forwards. I'm thiking Miele, Callahan, and then 1 more from Ferraro/Sheahan/Cleary/Andersson/Pulkkinen.
October 5th, 2015 at 2:14 PM ^
October 5th, 2015 at 2:26 PM ^
All cleared waivers.
October 5th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
What am I doing with my life? lol
Congrats!!
October 5th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
Excellent choice, Coach Blashill. I hope this is a nice transition from Pavel & Hank to Dylan, Gustav and company.
October 5th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
Doubt it was his choice, though I'm sure he had some input.
Either way, good call.
October 5th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^
Doubt it was his choice? If anything he had to convince Holland to put him on the roster, not the other way around...
October 5th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
Going to be the first teenager to play in the regular season for the wings since Jiri Hudler in 2003-04.
October 5th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
Edit. I was wrong.
October 5th, 2015 at 12:02 PM ^
October 5th, 2015 at 12:54 PM ^
DetNews article just posted indicates Wings are going to waive Daniel Cleary to make room. That to me indicates that Larkin isn't just holding a spot until Datsyuk comes back. Blashill also said in the same article that plan is to put him on the #1 line with Zetterberg and Abdelkader for now.