from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

Players such as Dylan Larkin (age 22), Anthony Mantha (23), Andreas Athanasiou (24) and Tyler Bertuzzi (23), along with prospects Evgeny Svechnikov (21), Michael Rasmussen (19), and Filip Zadina (18) – one, or all three, could make the opening night roster – make this position group young and inexperienced, but also intriguingly talented.

Larkin, who could eventually replace Zetterberg as captain, believes the younger players are ready to assume a great responsibility.

“We were the kids, but now there’s even younger kids coming in,” said Larkin, noting, in particular, Rasmussen and Zadina, the last two first-round draft picks. “So myself, Double-A, Mo, Tyler, it’s going to be competitive from within. But we do need to grasp that bigger role of being a leader, doing the right things, setting the example of hard work right from day one in training camp.”

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