Detroit Red Wings’ captain, Dylan Larkin, showed exactly why he has that honor. Notching his 30th goal of the season, he became the first player in team history to achieve that mark for three seasons in a row since former captain Henrik Zetterberg did it four times in a row (2005-2009).
Despite only having 62 games under his belt this season, Larkin reached the 30-goal landmark nonetheless. Sitting at 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points, the 27-year-old centerman could achieve the very first true point-per-game season of his career. He finished just shy of that in his previous two seasons, scoring 69 points in 71 contests in 2021-22 and 79 in 80 games in 2022-23.
With the Red Wings making a dash toward the playoffs with a wildcard spot well within their grasp, there is no better time for a captain to show up. When Detroit was without him for some time due to injury in March, his team spiraled. Going an abysmal 2-6-0 in that stretch, they could have been out of the race entirely. Larkin’s impact cannot be understated — he is arguably his team’s most valuable player.
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Larkin, on the first season of a massive $69.6 million extension that runs through the 2030-31 season, has shown no signs of exiting his prime. This has been a campaign of decent progress for him and the Red Wings. If they can finish off with a bang, he can reach just the second postseason of a 646-game tenure with Detroit.
