When it comes to the Detroit Red Wings’ prospect pipeline, there’s no question that it runs deep – except at one position. When the club dealt Calle Jarnkrok to the Nashville Predators at last season’s NHL trade deadline as part of the package for David Legwand, it left a void down the middle in terms of bona fide futures at center.
That’s why center was a center of attention for the Wings during the 2014 NHL entry draft. Detroit spent its top two picks to land centers Dylan Larkin (15th overall) and Dominic Turgeon (63rd overall).
Larkin, 18, a six-foot, 190-pound freshman with the Michigan Wolverines in nearby Ann Arbor was named Tuesday by USA Hockey to its world junior team.
“I love the way he skates,… said Detroit director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright, himself a veteran of 613 games as an NHL center. “He’s good size, he’s an elite skater, and he plays center ice, which is a position that you can’t have enough of, obviously.…
Larkin averaged nearly a point per game last season with the Ann Arbor-based USA Hockey under-18 team, posting 86 points in 92 games, and he’s maintained that pace in his first NCAA season, recording 2-10-12 numbers in 13 games to rank third on the Wolverines in scoring. He’s also third on the team with 14 penalty minutes and the Wings like that Larkin plays the game with an edge and that he’s a 200-foot performer on the ice.
“This guy’s the ultimate competitor,… Wright said. “I mean, (last season) he played on the second line on a team that (Jack Eichel) with (Alex) Tuch and (Sonny) Milano did a lot of the scoring. “I watched the U.S. program play a lot and I’ve never seen this kid play a bad game. He may not have been the best player every game but this guy drove the bus for that team and it was a very good team.
“He separated his shoulder at the World (under-18) Championships and you could tell, and he scores the game-winning goal. Character and passion for me are a lot of things, and not only does he have those things he’s a good hockey player. I mean this kid just oozes character. He wills people into games.
“This could be one of your captains down the road.…
Larkin is equally excited to be in line to one day wear the winged wheel. Upon arriving at the podium on draft day, the first thing the Waterford, Mich. native told the Detroit brass was “I’m going home.…
Home as in Hockeytown, where Larkin grew up worshipping the Red Wings.
“This is the place I wanted to be,… Larkin said. “I grew up watching the Nick Lidstroms and the (Steve) Yzermans and (Kris) Drapers.…
The Wings are equally pleased that Larkin is nearby, making it easier to keep tabs on his progress.
“It’s exciting for him, it’s exciting for us,… Wright said. “We get to keep close track and (development coach) Jiri Fischer’s pretty excited that he doesn’t have to go too far to work with the kid.
“It’s a god relationship with the Wings and Michigan and kids from Michigan. He’s got Canadian parents, his dad’s from Scarborough, Ontario. The kid comes from a good background, a good family and he’s a good addition to our prospects.…
Detroit center Luke Glendening, a Michigan alumni, worked out with Larkin during the off-season and was impressed by what the youngster showed him.
“I’ve spoken to him a few times and I skated a few times with him over the summer,… Glendening said. “He’s a great player, a great kid, very humble. He’s going to be a great talent. “I don’t know how long he’ll stay at Michigan, but he’ll be ready for the next level for sure.…
That’s why Larkin’s name comes up whenever trade rumors involving Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers surface, but it’s also why the Wings aren’t about to part with him.
“How much is he going to score? We just have to develop him in the right way and make sure we give him every resource possible to succeed and when he’s ready to come out of school we’ll be ready for that,… Wright said. “He has a chance to be an exceptional hockey player and that’s why we’re excited that we took him when we did.…
On The Wings Of Tomorrow is a periodic look at prospects in the Detroit system.
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