What Dylan Larkin’s Bounce-Back Season Means for the Red Wings Future

Ah, that good old sophomore slump. An occurrence that is so common it was given a name. Many players have experienced an abrupt decline in their production during their second year as a professional athlete. Of course, it causes concern amongst an organization and its fanbase; but what is more telling is whether a player can make the necessary changes to his game and bounce back the following year.

It is safe to say that Dylan Larkin went through his own sophomore slump during the 2016-17 regular season. After an impressive rookie year where he posted 23 goals and 22 assists, the former 15th-overall pick suffered a significant drop in his numbers, recording 32 points in 80 games. Although suffering setbacks your second year in the league happens often, the question of whether Larkin’s rookie season was a fluke still floated around. The Waterford, Michigan native needed to turn things around in 2017-18 to re-instill confidence in the young center’s abilities.

Fortunately for Larkin and the Red Wings, that is precisely what happened. In his third year with the franchise, he posted a career-high 63 points in 82 games on a team that was one of the worst in the National Hockey League. Obviously, this puts a lot of people tied to the Red Wings organization at ease. However, Larkin’s resurgence this season means so much more than just the fact that 2015-16 was not an illusion.

Detroit is at the beginning stages of a full-blown rebuild. Besides for tearing down what doesn’t work, the Red Wings must start to establish their core for the future. In a recent piece for The Athletic, Craig Custance identifies “high-end ingredients” for a successful re-build as a top center, top defenseman, and a game-breaking winger. An argument can be made about a reliable goaltender being thrown into that mix but that a conversation in a different day.

In Larkin, the Red Wings may have already found one of those ingredients. A top-notch center is not easy to come by, and the 21-year-old Larkin might be just that for Detroit. He took serious strides in his production this season, becoming the Red Wings most effective player. Larkin spent time correcting what went wrong in 2016-17, evolving his game to be more dynamic which in turn made him more challenging to contain this time around. Larkin’s ability to make adjustments is a healthy sign that he will continue to get better.

Yes, Detroit is a ways away from getting back to contender status in the NHL and Larkin will, unfortunately, be a part of some weak teams for the next few years. Luckily, at age 21, Larkin is still young and his prime years are still ahead of him. If the Red Wings can execute an effective rebuilding plan, it is likely that the team could get back to being at least competitive by the time he reaches his prime.

Rebuilds are always painful, sometimes smothered in pessimistic thought with little hope in sight. Dylan Larkin at least provides the organization with a bright spot during dark times and one comforting feeling that the organization has their number one center of both the present and future.