After Enduring a Difficult Season, Dylan Larkin Enters Offseason with Playoffs in Focus
Dylan Larkin said he went through “one of the most difficult years in my life” this season both personal and professional. Now, he turns the page to an offseason where he's focused on making playoffs happen next season.
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports - After Enduring a Difficult Season, Dylan Larkin Enters Offseason with Playoffs in FocusFor all he endured this season with injuries and personal issues combined, Dylan Larkin has to be thankful he can take time to get his mind and body right this offseason. After all he went through, all the mental and physical strain he put his body to be there for his team, he's earned a much-needed break.
Yet it’s clear that he also wishes this season weren’t over. He wanted a playoff appearance, to roll all his sacrifice into the chance to play for the Stanley Cup. This is what he played for, why he put himself through the wringer emotionally and physically. By one single point, he and the Red Wings fell just short.
“Obviously after the game was tough, yesterday was tough,” Larkin said Thursday. “But I was able to get together with the guys and our wives, and (it) made me feel better. Just sharing stories and just being together helped, and talking about it. It's been hard but there's so many good moments, so many good memories of this season and (I’m) just very proud of this group.”
Larkin didn’t want to go into detail about how hard this season was for him, but the effects are noticeable. His words carry a seriousness to them, a weight that shows how much he's gone through. With two major injuries he battled back from, in addition to a family issue, Larkin went through enough to make anyone feel discouraged. Instead, each time he battled back for his team and found a way to motivate them. After all, his team needed him, especially with subpar depth down the middle.
“You don't have to be the most expert hockey mind to see (it),” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said Friday. “I saw a stat where we’re just over a 100 point team with Dylan in our lineup. We're picking first overall with him out of our lineup if you're going to project wins and losses.”
More so than just the sum of his scoring and defense, Larkin’s impact also included the sheer inspiration he gave his teammates. Even they recognized his sacrifice, as David Perron said Monday that he wanted to make the playoffs for Larkin in particular. Larkin's leadership is already strong, but the process of missing the playoffs also caused Larkin to grow even more. He learned a lot about himself through one of the “best experiences” of his career, but also one of the hardest.
“It sucks that there was no reward, but it was a great experience to find out a lot about myself and our team,” Larkin said. “I think the last 13 games since I was injured we played against playoff teams and teams that we were fighting with for positioning until Montreal and the last two games of the year. So it was very intense and very demanding and a lot of fun, but I found out a lot about our group and felt like it was a great experience for myself.”
Now, Larkin looks to parlay that experience into an offseason to get even better for another playoff push. This summer is a chance to rest, but also to improve. Lalonde gave Larkin lots of credit Friday for how he handled an increasingly difficult workload. Now, it's only ramping up.
“I almost get a little emotional when talking about Dylan because it was such a tough year,” Lalonde said. “I cannot be more impressed on his growth over two years and everything he went through. It’s impressive to watch. There's a lot of reasons for me to be optimistic with this group going forward. Him being our captain and him being the type of player he is, is probably number one. … I've asked a lot of him. And I've been hard on him over two years because I know we're not going anywhere without him. And all he's done is respond and keep elevating.”
Even so, Larkin’s work wasn’t enough to get Detroit to the playoffs, and so he has to look forward toward the next act. It’s a comeback story that starts with a good offseason not only from Larkin, but from his teammates. The thrill of the playoff hunt has inspired the group, but Larkin’s example can show the other Red Wings what to do.
“I think for the guys coming back, this has to fuel you. It stings,” Larkin said of missing the playoffs. He went on to describe how the playoff push had prevented a lot of players from returning home to Europe or booking season-ending vacations. Even he didn’t look for a getaway amid such a burdensome year. It was playoffs or bust.
“Now I'm trying to get healthy and back to work,” Larkin said. “And I don't really have interest in a vacation or anything. So the momentum we built for the guys returning, hopefully there's a hunger there all summer and a little bit of anger and hurt from what we just went through. Hopefully it's there for them all summer. I know it will be for me.”
Frankly, it has to be. In addition to the teams who made the playoffs this season, there are other upstart teams like Buffalo trying to make the playoffs. Even last season, the New Jersey Devils made the second round before missing this season. The competition for a playoff spot will be just as difficult.
It’s going to take improvement throughout the team — especially outside of Larkin — to avenge the sting of the playoffs. But Larkin’s passion and sacrifice can encourage his teammates to get better, too. It’s easy to be motivated seeing Larkin’s herculean effort to come back from an upper and lower body injury this season and play through personal trauma.
Now that the season has transitioned into a tough and reflective offseason, Larkin’s example could serve as motivation for his fellow Red Wings. Because really, after seeing what Larkin went through this season, making the playoffs is a drop in the bucket.
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