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Dylan Larkin

NHL Pulls Current Batch of “Tracking” Pucks

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The NHL and its coaches and players are unhappy with one of its newest innovations. Microchipped “tracking” pucks, first introduced in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, were intended to bring the league into a new age of technological analysis. However, the current batch of pucks is different than those used seamlessly in the postseason – and people can tell.

NBC Sports reports that a number of players and coaches have complained to the league about the new pucks, which were finished differently than the playoff batch. This included Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault, who claimed the pucks “didn’t slide as well”, and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who commented the pucks were “bouncing everywhere.” As a result, the NHL has announced that the pucks have been pulled from gameplay, beginning with Tuesday night’s contests. Pucks from last season will be used for the time being.

Fortunately, the league does expect that new tracking pucks will be ready for action soon. The new batch will also undergo testing before being rolled out. Puck tracking information has long been desired in the NHL and they will work hard to make sure they can get that data back as soon as possible.

Dylan Larkin Named Captain Of Detroit Red Wings

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It comes with plenty of hype and little surprise; Dylan Larkin is the next captain of the Detroit Red Wings. The team announced the selection today on the eve of their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes. Larkin will be the 37th captain in franchise history, succeeding Henrik Zetterberg who was last to wear the “C.”

 

From the moment he burst onto the scene in 2015 with his blazing speed and scoring touch, Larkin was destined to take over this role. In the 2015-16 season he scored 23 goals, leading the entire Red Wings team even as a rookie, and trailing only Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in points. It was as obvious then as it is now that Larkin would be the next face of the franchise, following in some heavy footsteps.

Now heading into his sixth NHL season, the 24-year-old becomes captain after scoring 266 points in 389 career games. He hasn’t been able to lead the Red Wings back to the playoffs but will be an anchor in the middle of the rebuild as GM Steve Yzerman starts to fill the roster up with talented youngsters. He has three years left on his current contract, one of just two players signed through the 2022-23 season and his next task will be to help the Red Wings become competitive again.

Given the high draft picks that Detroit has used the last few seasons, picking star prospects like Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, there’s a chance that Larkin isn’t the most talented player on the roster by the end of this contract. But there’s also a chance he gets back to the 32-goal, 73-point performance he had in 2018-19 and puts himself among the league’s all-stars once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.

What are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Very little has gone right for Detroit this season as the team finds itself dead last in the league, four points out of 30th place and nine points out of 29th place, suggesting the team is likely to land another significant lottery in June. And while none of that is worthy of being thankful for, Detroit’s general manager Steve Yzerman, is eager to complete the team’s rebuild and likely has no qualms about seeing this franchise at the bottom in hopes of completely rebuilding the franchise up. It has plenty of complementary pieces and several players who could be stars, but a picking up a franchise player in a stacked draft might be the most valuable piece to this franchise.

Who are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Anthony Mantha.

Mantha missed eight games with a knee injury, returning today, but continues to be the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and 23 points this season, which puts him on pace for almost a goal per game. After posting 48 points for the past two seasons, Mantha looks ready for a potential breakout season if he can remain healthy. He is third on the team among forwards in TOI, averaging 18:54 and looks to have taken his game to another level this year.

Considering that Dylan Larkin has seen a slight decline in his play so far, the team should be thankful that Mantha continues to improve season after season.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

Defense.

Detroit has struggled defensively this season with injuries as the team has been without several of their veteran blueliners for chunks of the season already. Other than Filip Hronek, the defense has looked to be in serious trouble. Danny DeKeyser has missed all but eight games so far this season. Trevor Daley has missed 20 games, Mike Green has missed eight games and isn’t the same player he once was, while Jonathan Ericsson has been waived and used just eight times this season. Even Dennis Cholowski has failed to live up to expectations this year and has been sent to the AHL as well.

The team needs the defense to get healthy and more importantly, they need some of their young blueliners to take that next step and provide some defense to give the team a chance.

What should be on the Red Wings’ Holiday Wish List?

Goaltending.

The teams goaltending has hit some hard times. The star of the team is Jonathan Bernier, who is boasting a 3.34 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 20 appearances. And yes, that’s the best of the bunch. 35-year-old Jimmy Howard, who is currently out with a strained groin, is struggling even worse with a 3.94 GAA and a .887 save percentage in just eight appearances. The team did add Eric Comrie to the team in a trade with Arizona. However, so far there hasn’t been any indication that he’s the answer in two appearances, although it’s still early.

Unfortunately, the team may not find the answer during the holidays. They may be more likely to fix that problem by making a big splash in the free agent market this summer when some interesting names might be available, including Washington’s Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom, Robin Lehner amongst others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Bergeron, Miller, Larkin

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The Department of Player Safety announced late Saturday that it has fined Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk $2,486.56, the maximum allowable fine under the CBA, for his cross check on Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton.

The two players had some words earlier in the game after Laughton scored the go-ahead goal, but with 30 seconds remaining in the game, Tkachuk cross-checked Laughton away from the play, knocking the forward to the ice. Tkachuk followed that up by jumping on top of him and starting a skirmish that stopped play. Tkachuk was given minor penalties for roughing and cross-checking.

  • The Boston Herald’s Marisa Ingemi reports that Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a lower-body injury, is expected to travel with the team on their four-game road trip next week, although there is no word on whether he will play. Bergeron has missed seven straight games now, but the 34-year-old did practice Friday with the team in a red non-contact jersey.
  • With the return of veteran Kyle Okposo, Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger sent defenseman Colin Miller to the press box for the seventh time in 14 games, according to The Athletic’s John Vogl (subscription required). The Sabres, who were praised during the offseason for acquiring the 27-year-old from Vegas for future second and fifth-round picks, have struggled finding a role for the blueliner, who still has a $3.875MM contract that runs through 2021-22. Miller, who put up 29 points in 65 games for Vegas last year, has just four assists and only got into the previous four games due to the number of injuries at the forward position. “We thought he’s been really strong the last few days, which is one of the reasons we ended up going with seven D over the last period of time,” Krueger said. “It’s just the way we see the pairs. Right through the lineup, we’re looking for a little familiarity right now in the group.”
  • Despite the Detroit Red Wings troubles in the standings, MLive’s Ansar Khan writes the team remains thrilled that forward Dylan Larkin seems to be emerging from his slump. After being held seven games without a point, Larkin posted a goal and an assist Saturday for the second straight game, giving him four points in two games. The team is thrilled with his drive despite the team’s struggles. “His drive’s great,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think he’s done a good job of staying with it when we’ve gotten down. I think he’s been one of the guys to be a catalyst to not let us sink … His determination is probably one of his best attributes. He showed it there at the end.”

 

Snapshots: Red Wings, Blues, RFAs

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The Detroit Red Wings will operate without a captain once again this season, despite the expectation that Dylan Larkin will one day assume the role. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that they will instead start with four alternates: Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. Blashill and Steve Yzerman agreed to wait until the GM got to know the entire team better after taking over this offseason.

Larkin, 23, has become the face of the Red Wings franchise after putting up a career-high 32 goals and 73 points last season. As the old guard including Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and recently Niklas Kronwall have moved on from their roles on the Red Wings, Larkin and other young players have taken on more and more responsibility. As the team transitions from rebuilding to contending over the next few years it seems likely that someone will eventually wear the “C” for Blashill and Yzerman, just not yet.

  • The St. Louis Blues are finalizing extensions for Steve Ott and David Alexander according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The pair of assistant coaches will be given extensions that match the length of head coach Craig Berube, who was given a three-year deal earlier this summer. The coaching staff under Berube completed a miracle turnaround this season with the Blues, taking them from last place in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions in just a few months.
  • Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest has heard a few things on restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Mikko Rantanen, including about a recent short-term offer from the Winnipeg Jets to the former. The deal presented to Laine was in the “$5MM per year range” though Strickland notes that even on that short-term deal the Jets will “need to come up on money.” For Rantanen, Strickland reports that the free agent forward is not far away in terms of salary with the Colorado Avalanche and that the team’s last offer “blew past Nathan MacKinnon’s $6.3MM AAV.”

USA Hockey Announces 2019 IIHF World Championship Preliminary Roster

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The IIHF World Championship gets underway in just a few weeks and USA Hockey has announced the first group of players that will be suiting up for them. GM Chris Drury released 17 names that will be taking part, including captain Patrick Kane. The group is an impressive list of NHL stars that could very well bring home the country’s first gold medal at the tournament in nearly 60 years. The roster so far is as follows:

G Thatcher Demko
G Cayden Primeau
G Cory Schneider

D Quinn Hughes
D Alec Martinez
D Brady Skjei
D Ryan Suter

F Alex DeBrincat
F Jack Eichel
F Luke Glendening
F Patrick Kane
F Clayton Keller
F Chris Kreider
F Dylan Larkin
F James van Riemsdyk
F Frank Vatrano
F Colin White

Minor Transactions: 03/07/19

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The NHL has a busy schedule this evening with 11 games on tap, including an all-important battle in the Metropolitan Division. The Pittsburgh Penguins will welcome in the Columbus Blue Jackets in a game that could finish with the two part of a three-way tie with the Carolina Hurricanes at 79 points. Columbus pushed all their chips to the middle at the trade deadline by acquiring Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid, but are still at risk of missing the playoffs altogether. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Dylan Gambrell from the minor leagues as several players deal with the flu. Gambrell has been up and down several times this season, but is dominating in his first year of minor league action. In 39 games for the San Jose Barracuda, the former University of Denver standout has 38 points. The Sharks are in action against the Montreal Canadiens tonight.
  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman under emergency conditions, giving the team an extra option for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Kuhlman made his NHL debut earlier this season and has two points in four games overall.
  • With Dylan Larkin missing tonight’s game against the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Christoffer Ehn from the minor leagues. The 22-year old center is up under emergency conditions, meaning he’ll likely go back down when Larkin is able to return to action.

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Point, Brassard, Condon

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The Detroit Red Wings pulled off a big overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday, but suffered an even bigger loss when star center Dylan Larkin had to leave the game in overtime while trying to chase Mitch Marner. He was doubled over and appeared to hurt his rib cage.

Fox Sports John Keating reports that coach Jeff Blashill said that Larkin will miss one to two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, although the team is hoping he will only miss one week. He has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Andreas Athanasiou is expected to replace Larkin at center on that line.

Larkin has been a key player for the struggling Red Wings. He is having a career-year as he already has 22 goals, just one shy of his career-high and is close to being a point-per game player.

  • In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Joe Smith writes that Tampa Bay Lightning soon-to-be restricted free agent Brayden Point has made it quite clear that he wants to remain in Tampa Bay for a long time and the scribe suggests that the team might be best offering a five-year deal which might be the perfect compromise between a bridge deal and an eight-year pact. Both sides have agreed to put off contract talks until the summer. With 30 points goals and 65 points already in 51 games, the 22-year-old should receive quite a bump in pay when signing his new deal.
  • Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to get their new acquisitions Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann into their game Friday by giving them a police escort from the airport to the game, the Florida Panthers didn’t do the same thing. The Panthers, who acquired Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, three draft picks and future cap room from Pittsburgh earlier in the day Friday, opted to go without the pair Friday and are expected to have the two in the lineup Saturday against Vegas, according to Sun Sentinel’s Wells Dusenbury “I didn’t find out [about the trade] until about 11 [am],” Boughner said. “We were planning on having a different lineup in there tonight and so we built the lineup with what we had and unfortunately [Brassard and Sheahan] couldn’t get in for the game.”
  • The Ottawa Senators continue to be without goaltender Mike Condon, who the team placed on waivers on Oct. 31 who had and still is trying to come back from a hip injury, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The veteran goaltender cleared waivers, but has appeared in just one game for the Belleville Senators in all that time. Condon has recently started skating and working out in Ottawa, but there remains no timetable for his return. The hope is that he can make a return to the ice for Belleville March. The team acquired goaltender Anders Nilsson to be their backup goaltender on Jan. 2, who has fared well in eight appearances for Ottawa with a .922 save percentage, meaning that Condon will have a tough time getting back into the goaltending rotation, barring injury.

Asking Price Remains High For Jimmy Howard, Gustav Nyquist

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Back in December, it was reported that the Detroit Red Wings were seeking a first-round pick as part of any return for impending free agent goalie Jimmy Howard. Howard had been enjoying a hot start to the season and looked like the top keeper on the trade market, but a first-rounder still seemed like a chance. Since then, Howard has continued to play well, but the market has changed. Teams continue to drop out of the playoff race earlier than usual, with some contenders also proclaiming a lack of interest in the rental market, creating a strong buyer’s market. The situations surrounding other impending free agent goalies like Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovksy, Colorado’s Semyon Varlamov, Calgary’s Mike Smith, and Edmonton’s Cam Talbot have also continued to deteriorate and Howard no longer seems to be the clear cut top starter on the market. Statistically, he is still the best option to this point in the season, but the lofty goal of a first-round return seems less likely than ever.

Don’t tell that to Red Wings GM Ken Holland. Ansar Khan of MLive.com reiterates that the team is holding out for a first-round pick for Howard and would rather continue negotiating an extension with their longtime netminder than trade him away for anything less. However, Khan now adds that forward Gustav Nyquist is being given the exact same treatment. Despite Detroit’s struggles this season – the team is currently sixth in the Atlantic Division and 13 points out of an Eastern Conference wild card spot – Howard has played very well while backup Jonathan Bernier has faltered and Nyquist has been the team’s second-best forward  behind Dylan Larkin by a wide margin over the rest of the team. The Red Wings certainly have plenty of reason to want to retain both players moving forward, hence the high asking price to give up on those aspirations.

However, a first-round pick for Nyquist may not be so outlandish. With 40 points on the year, Nyquist is tied for fifth among impending free agent forwards. Of those around him, San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski is not going anywhere and Columbus Blue Jackets star Artemi Panarin seems unlikely to move as well. Both the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres would prefer to re-sign Mark Stone and Jeff Skinner respectively as well. This means that Nyquist could potentially be one of the top rental forwards available alongside the likes of Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Kevin Hayes, and Micheal Ferland. Such a label could be enough to garner a first-rounder for the Red Wings, if they’re still willing to move him. At this point, it seems more likely that Detroit extends both Nyquist and Howard than trades both, but as long as the team stays open to moving them at the right price, the fluctuating market could always change those plans.

“Last Man In” All-Star Ballot Candidates Announced

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The NHL has already announced the initial ten-man All-Star rosters for each of the four divisions, but new this year is an additional fan ballot to add an eleventh and final member to each squad. The “Last Man In” ballot, an idea invented by Major League Baseball, pits one skater from each team in each division against one another for a chance to participate in All-Star festivities. Fans will decide, with online voting opening tomorrow and lasting until midnight ET on January 10, which of the following players will get the final nod:

Pacific Division

F Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
F Logan Couture (SJS)
F Anze Kopitar (LAK)
F Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)
F Brock Boeser (VAN)
F Jonathan Marchessault (VGK)
D Mark Giordano (CGY)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI)

Central Division

F Gabriel Landeskog (COL)
F Zach Parise (MIN)
F Patrik Laine (WPG)
F Tyler Seguin (DAL)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
F Filip Forsberg (NSH)
F Jonathan Toews (CHI)

Atlantic Division

F Brayden Point (TBL)
F Jeff Skinner (BUF)
F Dylan Larkin (DET)
F Aleksander Barkov (FLA)
F Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
F Mark Stone (OTT)
D Morgan Rielly (TOR)
D Shea Weber (MTL)

Metropolitan Division

F Nicklas Backstrom (WSH)
F Kyle Palmieri (NJD)
F Anders Lee (NYI)
F Jakub Voracek (PHI)
F Teuvo Teravainen (CAR)
F Nick Foligno (CLB)
F Mats Zuccarello (NYR)
D Kris Letang (PIT)

Due to the limits on selections by team, both in the initial rosters and the “Last Man In” vote, there are several star players who cannot be saved by fan voting this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner, the No. 6-ranked scorer in the league, highlights the snub group, which also includes Calgary Flames forwards Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk, Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter. Other odd omissions, not necessarily forced by the format, are Columbus’ Artemi Panarin, Nashville’s Ryan Johansen, and Montreal’s Max Domi and Jeff Petry. However, the new final vote option does largely do a good job of giving each team and their fan base one last chance to get a deserving player into the All-Star game.

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