DETROIT -- Although it did not end well for his team, Dylan Larkin's rookie season has to be considered a success.
The Red Wings like their young players to get seasoning in the minor leagues, but Larkin, a Waterford, Mich. native, played so well in training camp and during the preseason that he forced the team to keep him.
Larkin, 19, didn't just earn a spot on the team, he was often skating on the top line with captain Henrik Zetterberg, a player Larkin grew up watching.
Larkin scored 23 goals and 22 assists, finishing a team-leading plus-11 in 80 games.