Detroit City Wire

Currently on a five-game winning streak, the Detroit Red Wings have emerged as one of the NHL’s top-performing teams in the early part of the 2025-26 season. With a 5-1-0 record and 10 points, the team’s strong start has been led by captain Dylan Larkin.

Larkin, 29, recorded nine points—four goals and five assists—and posted a plus-7 rating in four games last week. For his performance, he was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the period ending Sunday, October 19. Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood were named Second and Third Stars, respectively.

Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan praised Larkin’s leadership since taking over behind the bench last December. “Everything a captain should be,” McLellan said on Sunday. “Leadership – and leadership isn’t just ‘rah rah.’ A lot of times he’s leading by example. He’s done a tremendous job. We’re early in the season and he’s playing banged up a little bit. But everything that we should see from Dylan, we’re seeing from him right now. Now, we’ve got a long way to go. He’s got to keep doing that.”

Larkin has earned at least one point in each of Detroit’s first six games this season. In Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Little Caesars Arena, he matched his NHL career-high with four points (two goals, two assists). Larkin is now only the third player in franchise history to achieve multiple season-opening point streaks of six or more games, joining Steve Yzerman and Gordie Howe.

As of Monday morning, Larkin was tied with Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander for third-most points in the league with 11 and shared third place for plus-minus rating (plus-9) alongside Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen.

Reflecting on his performance, Larkin said: “I had a good summer,” Larkin said. “A healthy summer. I think just positivity and carrying that over to the season. Playing with Finn and Ray. Playing with Apps when he came up. Great-skating guys that can think the game at a high speed. [They’re] making it very easy. I don’t have to be F1 on the forecheck and the first guy back to play defense. It takes a little bit of the load when you got two other guys that can skate, go help and do some of the heavy lifting to get the pucks back.”

Beyond statistics, Larkin has played an important role off ice as well—such as retrieving milestone pucks for rookie teammates Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Emmitt Finnie after their first NHL goals.

Finnie commented on Larkin's influence: “On the bench, he talks to me a lot,” Finnie said about Larkin. “He’s giving me pointers throughout the game. Even during practice and stuff, he’s always helping me with all the little things. He’s been great for me.”