Analysts: Wings’ Larkin has talent to make NHL jump

Detroit — It’s a big jump from college hockey to the NHL.

But Dylan Larkin might have the goods to make it.

That’s the opinion of NBC NHL analysts Pierre McGuire and Ed Olczyk, who discussed league matters Monday during a teleconference.

“I’m a big Dylan Larkin fan,” McGuire said. “Have been for a long time. What stood out to me was his speed, his two-step acceleration was as good or better than anybody’s in the (world junior) tournament, and Connor McDavid (No. 1 overall pick) was playing for Canada and Jack Eichel (No. 2 pick) was the captain of the American team and those are two of the leading candidates to be Rooke of the Year.

“Most people have to go through Grand Rapids before they get an opportunity to play in Detroit. Dylan Larkin is beyond that. He’s going to be a phenomenal player in Detroit for a very long period of time and has a legitimate chance to rival both McDavid and Eichel to be Rookie of the Year in the NHL.”

Larkin, a Waterford native who starred at Michigan his only collegiate season, was told Monday he made the Red Wings roster.

Olczyk saw Larkin play in the Big Ten — Olczyk’s son plays at Penn State — and was impressed with his hockey IQ. But he cautioned fans about expectations and the huge leap from college to the pros.

“Just his smarts will allow to be a very, very impactful player in this league,” Olczyk said. “But there is always that growing — those growing pains that come with any player let alone a kid coming out of university hockey and getting to the NHL.

“The pro game is much more structured than the college game (but) he has the intelligence, he has that hockey IQ. He has that ability to be able to know that sometime’s it’s okay to live to fight another day.

“For me, this is one guy that’s got a chance. The Red Wings haven’t had many high draft picks, so to speak. But this is one guy that certainly seems the potential to be one of those guys and they’re going to rely on for a long, long time on both ends of the ice.”

The transition to new coach Jeff Blashill, Olczyk and analyst Mike Emrick said, shouldn’t keep the Red Wings from having a successful season.

Olczyk coached with Blashill on the USA under-18 team several years ago.

“I know the type of guy he is, the type of hockey coach he is, he’s paid his dues,” Olczyk said. “He’s a winner. He has a way of communication, a great listener and he has a lot of respect inside the locker room in Detroit. That’s not easy.

“He will have success there. He knows a lot of these guys, which is very important because he coached a lot of these young guys and knows a lot of these guys.”

Said Emrick: “The Red Wings aren’t really done when it comes to winning hockey games and making good decisions. The realization was Mike (Babcock) was going to move on and why not get a winner out of the American League (Blashill coached Grand Rapids to the 2013 Calder Cup).”

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

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