Larkin, 22, skated in his third NHL season in 2017-18 and nearly doubled his point total from the year prior by producing a team-best 63 points (16-47-63) in 82 games after 32 points (17-15-32) over 80 games in 2016-17. He became the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring, trailing only Steve Yzerman (18 years and 10 months in 1983-84), Mark Osborne (20 years and seven months in 1981-82), Marcel Dionne (20 years and seven months in 1971-72) and Dale McCourt (21 year and two months in 1977-78). The Waterford, Mich., native also ranked among Red Wings leaders with 82 games played (T1st), 16 goals (T3rd), 47 assists (1st), 61 penalty minutes (3rd), eight power-play points (T8th), two shorthanded goals (T1st), four game-winning goals (T1st), 232 shots on goal (1st), 19:50 average time on ice (4th, and most among the team's forwards) and 56 takeaways (1st). He reached a pair of milestones in 2017-18, tallying 100 career points on Dec. 2 at Montreal and skating in his 200th NHL game on Jan. 5 vs. Florida.
Originally drafted by the Red Wings in the first round (15th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Larkin has appeared in 242 games with Detroit since 2015-16, registering 140 points (56-84-140), which is tied for fourth-most among his draft class. He debuted for Detroit at age 19, making him the first teenager to play in the team's opening-night lineup since Mike Sillinger in 1990-91. During his rookie campaign in 2015-16, Larkin was named to the NHL All-Star Game and set the NHL's fastest skater record during the Skills Competition, posting a lap time of 13.172 seconds to break Mike Gartner's 20-year-old record. Internationally, Larkin has represented the United States on four occasions at the IIHF World Championship, most recently earning bronze while serving as an alternate captain at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark. He also skated for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup.
Prior to his professional career, Larkin spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2012-14 prior to spending one season at the University of Michigan in 2014-15. He was named the Big Ten Rookie of the Year while earning a spot on the conference's First All-Star Team after producing 47 points (15-32-47) in 35 games for the Wolverines. Larkin also scored five goals at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship to lead the tournament in goals. He went on to sign with the Red Wings and make his professional debut with the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins during their postseason run, picking up five points (3-2-5) in six games.
