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.
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.
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