DobberHockey’s Michael Clifford discusses intriguing training camp battles within the Atlantic Division, and this one should spark some discussion:
Detroit Red Wings: Who Skates with Dylan Larkin
Much like the Winnipeg Jets over the last several years, the Detroit Red Wings have had a difficult time finding a second-line centre to play behind their franchise centre. J.T. Compher has filled in well enough, but he seems more like a third-line centre on a contender rather than the second-line option. Regardless, whichever wingers get to the top line are in a much more advantageous fantasy position than those on the second line, so Larkin’s line mates matter a lot.
Last season, Larkin’s two most common line mates were Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat. That is all well and good, but that leaves Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane as second-line wingers. Those guys are talented offensively, but porous defensively, and that combination would wind up spending a lot of time in the defensive zone. Can they really afford to leave Tarasenko/Kane together? Does Kane move up next to Larkin while Raymond moves down? Does Tarasenko move up and DeBrincat move down? There are options here, and two wingers are going to get a big downgrade in their centre.
Positions don’t stay constant, but training camp should tell us how the team views the pecking order for skating on Larkin’s flanks. That is vital fantasy information for us.
Continued; how do you think that the Wings’ top six will shake out?
