Larkin to move to Center

[hf101]

Looks like Datsyuk's immediate replacement will be  Larkin.  With Zetterberg on his wing.    ( UP the Fantasy Stock!!!)  

 

Quote

After a successful rookie campaign, Dylan Larkin will likely return to his native position in 2016-17.

 

The Detroit Red Wings forward led the club with 23 goals during his first season, playing on the wing alongside captain Henrik Zetterberg. However, general manager Ken Holland feels it's time to transition the 20-year-old back to his preferred position at center.

 

"That's our plan going into camp," Holland told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "He's obviously been a center his entire life. We drafted him as a center, but when you have guys like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk down the middle, guys who are so good 200 feet, it's tougher.

"Dylan played with Zetterberg last season and Zetterberg took a lot of the responsibility off of Dylan to free him up to play the game. Long-term, the plan is that Dylan is going to be a center for us."

 

In turn, Holland says the team will likely shift Zetterberg to the wing, with newly-acquired Frans Nielsen occupying the other center spot in the top-six.

 

 

 

 

[yave1964]

Great move, Z wears down every year and the less demanding wing position will allow him to remain fresh. It is a matter of who plays with who. Or whom, I never get that right.

 

 If you go with the obvious Z, Larkin and Nielsen as the first three, it leaves candidates of:

 

Nyquist who seems a natural fit alongside the speedy Larkin.

Tatar who seems a natural fit along the gifted Nielsen.

Abdelkader who crashes the net.

 

I would put Z on the second line with Nielsen and Tatar, a very talented grouping, and alolow Abby to protect the kid and the quick playmaking Nyquist on the other side.

 

That would allow Vanek to play on the third line with Sheahan and Helm, with Athanasiou and Mantha banging on the door.

 

  Very acceptable.

[J0e Th0rnton]

On 8/24/2016 at 8:31 AM, hf101 said:

Looks like Datsyuk's immediate replacement will be  Larkin.  With Zetterberg on his wing.    ( UP the Fantasy Stock!!!)  

 

 

 

 

I liked Larkin a lot this season as a pickup.

[no1sjsharksfan]

I think it is always a good idea to try to get the best player on the ice the most responsibility and return a player to his natural position. It would be a mistake, though to have him center a third line. Just look at Tomas Hertl, and how he dominated possession-wise as a third line center, and but didn't have the talent around him to score enough. Give Larkin a chance to play and succeed.

[SpikeDDS]

On August 24, 2016 at 0:16 PM, yave1964 said:

Great move, Z wears down every year and the less demanding wing position will allow him to remain fresh. It is a matter of who plays with who. Or whom, I never get that right.

 

 If you go with the obvious Z, Larkin and Nielsen as the first three, it leaves candidates of:

 

Nyquist who seems a natural fit alongside the speedy Larkin.

Tatar who seems a natural fit along the gifted Nielsen.

Abdelkader who crashes the net.

 

I would put Z on the second line with Nielsen and Tatar, a very talented grouping, and alolow Abby to protect the kid and the quick playmaking Nyquist on the other side.

 

That would allow Vanek to play on the third line with Sheahan and Helm, with Athanasiou and Mantha banging on the door.

 

  Very acceptable.

 

I like that 3rd line a lot. If they play to their potential, it creates the very thing that contending teams must have--a solid, productive 3rd line.

 

the ONLY negative thing about putting Larkin back at center is that there will be fewer opportunities for him to get as much of a jump-start on the opposing D on turnover transitions. Not that that should prevent us from moving him to center, mind you. Fortunately, we still have AA who can do that. I hope that that line lives up to that potential, giving them more ice time to make an impact.

 

the trend on Z is obvious: he poops out in the second half of the season. Putting him at wing should lessen that, and it doesn't take away from his leadership any.

[Haliax]

I think Larkin playing center means we can expect him to struggle this year. He'll be depended on more to drive offense on his own. But I still think that it is a good move and that they should continue with it even if he does struggle early, because it should only benefit him in the long run.