Adam Larsson potential

[Saugus]

This is exactly what was being sold. 99% of us never saw him play much. We are judging in what we see now, Its amazing how we all see the player and see such different things. Some think he'd played great, alas I'm not on the side that see that, Potential is a great thing and he may reach that I hope he does,

Maybe we were listening to different scouting reports then. I heard about a mobile, positional, smart defenceman who passes well, and that's exactly what I see when Larsson is on his game. He was never projected to be a PP QB, nor was his shot particularly great.

 

[Devils86]

Maybe we were listening to different scouting reports then. I heard about a mobile, positional, smart defenceman who passes well, and that's exactly what I see when Larsson is on his game. He was never projected to be a PP QB, nor was his shot particularly great.

I think we all knew and expected growing pains and need to accept them in a young player, what worries me about AL is I dont see the great skill. I see someone who struggles with skating and footwork at the NHL level and that was suppose to be a strong suit. I dont see a consistent shot where he can be a first pair power play point man. I feel that his size, reach and hockey smarts covered for some deficiencies that are now being exposed. His skating holds his entire game back. Hopefully if that improves so will he.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Maybe we were listening to different scouting reports then. I heard about a mobile, positional, smart defenceman who passes well, and that's exactly what I see when Larsson is on his game. He was never projected to be a PP QB, nor was his shot particularly great.

Thank you. This is exactly what I have been saying all along.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I think we all knew and expected growing pains and need to accept them in a young player, what worries me about AL is I dont see the great skill. I see someone who struggles with skating and footwork at the NHL level and that was suppose to be a strong suit. I dont see a consistent shot where he can be a first pair power play point man. I feel that his size, reach and hockey smarts covered for some deficiencies that are now being exposed. His skating holds his entire game back. Hopefully if that improves so will he.

It's not his skating its his management of time and space. That's something that comes with time. He's actually a pretty strong skater with a fluid stride, although he's not "fast". He needs to learn how to manage his gaps and gauge time and space. That's why he gets beat to the outside a lot. He doesn't properly manage his gap and he gives up the angle. That takes a while to learn how to manage, especially for a 20 year old at the NHL level.

 

[Devils731]

Larsson is a poor skater when it comes to changing direction, side to side, and getting going backwards. His straight ahead strides are long and powerful.

 

[Devils86]

It's not his skating its his management of time and space. That's something that comes with time. He's actually a pretty strong skater with a fluid stride, although he's not "fast". He needs to learn how to manage his gaps and gauge time and space. That's why he gets beat to the outside a lot. He doesn't properly manage his gap and he gives up the angle. That takes a while to learn how to manage, especially for a 20 year old at the NHL level.

No...its his skating and footwork. Unless point a to point b is in a straight line he has trouble and it limits his entire game. He gets beat to the outside because he cant move his feet effectively. His reach and hockey smarts covered this previously ,at the NHL level it is getting exposed. Tho at only 20 this can be improved.

 

[Unknown Caller]

No...its his skating and footwork. Unless point a to point b is in a straight line he has trouble and it limits his entire game. He gets beat to the outside because he cant move his feet effectively. His reach and hockey smarts covered this previously ,at the NHL level it is getting exposed. Tho at only 20 this can be improved.

Agree to disagree. It's gap control more than foot speed or skating. You see plenty of stay at home dmen with the worst skating and foot speed imaginable not get beat to the outside. Why? Because they know how to manage their gaps. Larsson hasn't learned that yet. Gap management and getting beat to the outside has very little to do with foot speed and skating (if you know how to gauge time and space properly).

 

[apice3*]

Larsson was regarded as having the best shot in his draft class.

I've seen nothing wrong with his shot. It's hard, it's accurate, it's deflectable, and he knows where to put it. He just doesn't use it enough.

 

[Devils86]

Agree to disagree. It's gap control more than foot speed or skating. You see plenty of stay at home dmen with the worst skating and foot speed imaginable not get beat to the outside. Why? Because they know how to manage their gaps. Larsson hasn't learned that yet. Gap management and getting beat to the outside has very little to do with foot speed and skating (if you know how to gauge time and space properly).

I'll agree that the speed of the game at this level does take some getting used to and that he will learn to adjust but still feel his non linear skating isnt very good, I will acquiesce that it is a combination of the two.

 

[Devils86]

Larsson was regarded as having the best shot in his draft class.

I've seen nothing wrong with his shot. It's hard, it's accurate, it's deflectable, and he knows where to put it. He just doesn't use it enough.

I saw Gelinas play one game and his shot looked far superior. What AL shot is is very deflectable. His shot/SOG rate is very low but that may have been some what by design

 

[PercivalGraves]

Adam will develop into a great Defenseman

 

[Saugus]

Larsson was regarded as having the best shot in his draft class.

I've seen nothing wrong with his shot. It's hard, it's accurate, it's deflectable, and he knows where to put it. He just doesn't use it enough.

It's not a Volchenkov shot by any means, but Larsson won't beat a goalie clean with his shot very often. He's not Mike Green or Shea Weber. Where his shot will prove its value is its deflectable quality. If we ever find forwards willing to go to the net to tip the puck, he'll rack up the assists.

I still see flashes of the #1 defenceman. He won't be a game breaker offensively, but you can tell he has that ability to control the pace and flow of a game when he's on the ice. That is a rare quality, and it's what made guys like Pronger and Lidstrom great. I don't know if Larsson will ever reach that level, but I think the talent is there for it. He's a very smart player.

 

[Billdo]

What AL shot is is very deflectable. His shot/SOG rate is very low but that may have been some what by design

Maybe they don't let him or want him to shoot. Its clear his leash has been very short with Deboer. He might be to hesitant to shoot it because if something bad (blocked shot the other way, etc) he's worried about getting benched.Hopefully with a longer leash we can see how his offensive game actually looks. With it being contained Im not sure any of us know how good or medicore he really is offensively.

 

[devilsblood]

Larsson was regarded as having the best shot in his draft class.

I've seen nothing wrong with his shot. It's hard, it's accurate, it's deflectable, and he knows where to put it. He just doesn't use it enough.

I don't think he leans into a shot enough. Sure sometimes the deflectable shot is what is needed, but sometimes you need to just blast it. He seems to try for the former a much larger % of the time then just about any d-man I've seen.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

I don't think he leans into a shot enough. Sure sometimes the deflectable shot is what is needed, but sometimes you need to just blast it. He seems to try for the former a much larger % of the time then just about any d-man I've seen.

This.

His soft shot were he's looking for a tip happens way too often. Just crank it on net and let the keeper work for his save.