In Michigan's storied hockey history, only three freshmen have averaged better than rookie center Dylan Larkin's current 1.39 points per game (25-game minimum), putting the first-year forward in elite company.

Gordon McMillan owns the freshman record with 2.24 points per game in 1945-46 while Bruno Baseotto, who holds the rookie record for total points with 76, averaged 2.00 in 1979-80, and Al Renfrew averaged 1.88 points per game in 1945-46.

Larkin has put his tally together with eight goals and 17 assists, for 25 points, in 18 games this season - he missed two contests while participating in the World Junior Championships for Team USA - and has been on fire since returning from the international holiday tournament, racking up five goals and four assists in Michigan's three January contests.

"If we expect him to get five points every game, or whatever he's averaging in the last three games, we'd be foolish," said assistant coach Brian Wiseman, who averaged 1.23 points per game in his rookie season of 1990-91. "Obviously he's capable of having nights like he's had recently. It proves what confidence can do for a player. He came back from World Juniors feeling really good about his individual game, and we've seen that carryover."

Team USA did not earn a medal at this year's WJC, but Larkin starred anyway. He recorded a team-high seven points and shared the tournament lead for goal scoring (five markers) despite playing in two fewer games than the Canadians, Russians, Swedes and Slovaks.

While head coach Red Berenson always encourages his players to participate in the prestigious World Junior Championships, he's also leery of the effect it can have on his players returning to Ann Arbor for the second half of the college hockey season.

For every Al Montoya, who went 15-6-2 with a 2.05 goals against average and a .926 save percentage after playing for the U.S. team in the 2003-04 Championships, there are scores of Wolverines that struggled following the multi-week event, either because they were disappointed in their own play or couldn't come down off the high of winning a medal.

Andrew Cogliano was one of those players. In his first 17 games with Michigan in 2005-06, the skilled centerman registered eight goals and 11 assists, averaging 1.12 points per game, before embarking with Team Canada. The Canadians won gold and Cogliano wasn't the same player once back in a winged helmet, notching just four goals and five assists in U-M's final 21 games, averaging 0.43 points per contest (he did handle winning gold far better as a sophomore).

Larkin appears to be in the same category as Montoya, putting together an offensive explosion as he helped lead Michigan to 21 goals and three straight wins over Minnesota (two wins) and Ohio State from Jan. 9-16.

"I thought he came back with legitimate confidence, and he left for World Juniors already with good confidence," Berenson said. "The tournament really legitimized his season as a prospect when he's out there playing with all the kids his own age and a year older and he really handled himself well.

"I was worried he might be tired because the physical and emotional toll can be draining but he's been so full of energy and jump with us.

"I don't know if I expected this type of production but I'm not surprised by what he's doing. He's capable of playing like this. He had a good start but the second half of the season is usually the best half of a freshman's season.

"Dylan played well in the first half but he's taking it to another level."

Larkin has benefited from playing alongside senior left winger, and likely Hobey Baker finalist, Zach Hyman, and sophomore right winger Alex Kile. In the past three games, Hyman has four goals and five assists, and Kile has added a goal and an assist.

"Dylan and Zach have been a good marriage," assistant coach Billy Powers said. "They hit it off right away. They have helped each other elevate their games; Dylan gets a real high-end sense of confidence being with Zach."

In that way, Larkin reminds Berenson of Max Pacioretty, who was paired with two older players in 2008 and responded with a 15-goal, 39-point rookie campaign.

"We put Max in a good place, playing with two of the best players in college hockey in Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik, and we put Dylan in a good place, playing with, arguably, as good of a senior as there is in college hockey right now," Berenson said. "And then Alex Kile has taken off from his first year.

"No matter how you look at it, Dylan's one of the best freshman forwards we've had in a long time."

The best since whom?

The 2008 CCHA Rookie of the Year, Pacioretty was the choice for three out of six people asked in an informal poll, while Jeff Tambellini (2002-03), Aaron Palaushaj (2007-08) and Brendan Morrison (1993-94) also received a vote.

"Max was a first-round pick that started off a little slow but by the second half of the year he was an impact player game-in and game-out [with 10 goals and 10 assists in his final 18 contests]," MGoBlog.com publisher Brian Cook said.

"Unfortunately, Michigan didn't get to see a second year from Pacioretty but I think they will with Larkin. He's just coming on in a similar fashion. Maybe he needed some games to adapt to the college game, but now that he has, he's really excelling."

"Brendan Morrison was a pretty darn good freshman," added Wiseman, who is in his fourth season with U-M compared to 22 for Powers. "I was a senior Brendan's rookie year and you saw some pretty special things coming out of him.

"He and Dylan have some different attributes, but each one has this tremendous offensive gift. Dylan has a high IQ for the game and tremendous feet - he's a world-class skater. Brendan had a high IQ for the game and he had hands second to none, and the common factor is they make people around them better."

Michigan radio play-by-play man Al Randall cast the Palushaj vote because of Larkin's ability to make plays for his linemates as Palushaj did in 2008 when he had 34 assists.

"Aaron was the kind of guy that would carry the puck and then dish it off to some awfully good players," Randall noted. "They had a lot of goal scorers on that 2008 team but they needed someone to take over role of playmaker, and I think Palushaj did that. Larkin is more like that because he's been a huge assist guy so far.

"The two of them also have similar physical dimensions - about the same height, about the same weight [Larkin is 6-1, 192 and Palushaj was 6-0, 185 as a freshman]. They're both good puck handlers. Good feeders. Their speed was similar. Palushaj used to fly. He didn't have as smooth of a stride as Larkin does but he could move."

Palushaj was the last Michigan freshman to hit the 40-point mark, with 44 points as a rookie, and Larkin will almost certainly equal or surpass that feat; with 15 games remaining, he would need to average a point per game to hit 40 and 1.27 points per game to match Palushaj's 44. If he keeps up his torrid pace of 1.39, Larkin would finish with 46 points this year.

Expecting him to keep scoring like he has recently is probably unfeasible. Consider that in the past 15 years, no Big Ten freshman has ever averaged 1.39 points per game in a season. Minnesota's Thomas Vanek (1.38 in 2002-03) and Phil Kessel (1.31 in 2005-06) came closest.

"Dylan is a special talent," Powers said. "To see a freshman have this kind of impact doesn't happen often."

Larkin has been so good that Michigan fans are beginning to wonder if he's been too good, attracting the attention of the Detroit Red Wings, who chose the local Waterford, Mich., standout with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Berenson has a strong friendship with Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and thinks the Wings will hold off on poaching Larkin. Though not for long.

"I'd like to see him stay and continue to grow his game, and grow his body and maturity," Berenson said. "The NHL doesn't want the guy that just has the physical talent. They want the guy that can play hard every shift, and can keep up that consistency every game, handling the grind, and then they want someone that handle mentally that he may no longer be the best player, he may not be on the power play, and he has to play a role for that team, and on and on, and on.

"Can he handle all of that? Is he mature enough?

"The Red Wings haven't had many draft picks of Dylan's caliber. Riley Sheahan wasn't a great player for Notre Dame but he's playing his best hockey now for Detroit, and the Wings signed him after three years in college. They've signed a few prospects after three seasons in college, but I can't remember them taking anyone before that, though. But we'll see what their plans are for Dylan."

Michigan is back in action this weekend when U-M travels to Madison for two against Wisconsin. Friday's game 9pm start can be seen on Big Ten Network while Saturday's 8pm start is available on BTN2Go.

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