Red Wings Rumblings
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, and while we all watch in envy of other teams, a recent quote from Dylan Larkin has caused some rifts in the fanbase. Now, I’ll preface what I’m about to dive into with this: I hate doing this. We’re taking a 30-second sound clip and over-analyzing it. Oh well, that’s what we do as fans. So without further ado, here’s the clip:
Transcribed quote: “You gotta come up with wins and I think especially March it was hard, you know, that we didn’t do anything and then I felt the group kinda um, we didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline and um, you know guys were kinda down about it so.. um, it would be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a moral boost as well.”
I am going to take the contrarian position and say that I see both sides of this — and it may not be a popular opinion. On one hand, yeah of course Larkin’s frustration is valid. The season ended without a playoff berth — again. Emotions are high. I think all of us can agree that Steve Yzerman’s trade deadline was underwhelming, but it’s not like he didn’t try and right the ship. Yzerman added Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith for the paltry cost of Joe Veleno. Ultimately the trade did not work out, but it’s did shore up a position of need — goaltending. At the same time, I think most people knew that those two players were not going to be enough to get this team over the hump — players included. Let’s just ignore the fact that trade deadline prices were (as they always are) inflated. It wasn’t enough to propel the team into the postseason. So for that, the frustration is valid. Sure.
Now, let’s look at the other side of this. I’m sitting here listening to the team captain, a locker room lifeblood and cornerstone of this franchise, speak about the team’s poor demeanor after the trade deadline. Don’t you think that comment is a testament to your abilities as the leader of this team? It is, quite literally, your job to lift your guys up when things aren’t going your way. Yes, it’s frustrating to miss out on the playoffs every year since your rookie season, but YOU were chosen to be the leader. You are the straw that stirs the drink in that locker room. It is your job to bite your tongue and rally the troops. Otherwise, what’s the point of that patch on your chest? It’s not just for the look. It has a much deeper meaning and it is on you to assume that role when it’s given to you.
What I am trying to say is, Dylan Larkin has every right to be frustrated, but at what point do you start taking a look in the mirror and asking yourself “what am I doing to help rally my guys right now?”
Am I crazy here? Out of pocket? I just think that at some point the players need to be held accountable for the lack of success, trade deadlines and free agency be damned. I can’t sit here and tell you that Larkin’s comments will change anything, but when I listen to stuff like this, I have to take a broad approach and try and digest it not only as a fan, but from the perspective of a player, AND a general manager. If I were a GM and I heard my captain say this, I would probably be a little pissed off! But I’m not a GM and certainly not Steve Yzerman, so you know, grain of salt or whatever.
Has Steve Yzerman done a perfect job? Absolutely not. He’s had some miscalculations (Holl, Gustafsson, Tarasenko, waiting too long to fire Lalonde, etc), and that needs to be addressed. The pro scouting department needs to be overhauled and new voices need to be brought in — not relatives or friends or alumni — so that better decisions are made when it comes to free agency and trade deadlines acquisitions. At the same time, the leadership core of this locker room needs to own the shortfalls and not point fingers.
I’m going to end my rant now, because I don’t want to be unfair to either side here. I think a lot of improvements are needed both in the locker room and in the front office. That shouldn’t be a controversial opinion. Who knows what will happen this offseason, or if Larkin’s comments will trigger a shift in mindset. All I know is that actions speak louder than words, and both sides would benefit from considering that. Rebuilds take a long time and can go wrong at any turn, but to say this is 100% on the front office is nonsense. Just my opinion! I don’t think that’s what Larkin is saying, but I do get a sense that more fans are starting to believe this. The team’s failures do not fall on one person, and it’s time for EVERYONE to reconcile with that.
