RD Adam Larsson (2011, 4th overall, New Jersey) II

[DaveG]

continuing from the last thread: http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=674495

Click to read more...

 

[JawandaPuck]

Edmonton Oilers Chief scout Stu MacGregor on Adam Larsson

• Scouting Report: "A great two-way defenseman with good offensive puck-moving ability. He's strong and he competes hard on the boards in and around the net."
• Projection: "A one or a two. Probably a two."
• Best Case Scenario: "His most potential? Possibly a one."
• Concerns: "He's a good skater but he's not a great skater. His offence is only OK at this point."

 

[BUCKLE UP]

Let him drop.

 

[Avsboy]

Let him drop.

To us

 

[ponder]

Edmonton Oilers Chief scout Stu MacGregor on Adam Larsson

• Scouting Report: "A great two-way defenseman with good offensive puck-moving ability. He's strong and he competes hard on the boards in and around the net."
• Projection: "A one or a two. Probably a two."
• Best Case Scenario: "His most potential? Possibly a one."
• Concerns: "He's a good skater but he's not a great skater. His offence is only OK at this point."

That's basically how I feel about him too. Real good skater, good size, real good defensively, fairly physical, good offensively/with the puck, but not an offensive stud. I see him as a safe pick, almost certain to be a solid top 4 dman, but I also don't see the upside for him to be a superstar, more Mattias Ohlund type upside, a good top pairing guy, but not some Lidstrom/Pronger level franchise talent.

 

[Circulartheory]

That's basically how I feel about him too. Real good skater, good size, real good defensively, fairly physical, good offensively/with the puck, but not an offensive stud. I see him as a safe pick, almost certain to be a solid top 4 dman, but I also don't see the upside for him to be a superstar, more Mattias Ohlund type upside, a good top pairing guy, but not some Lidstrom/Pronger level franchise talent.

This is why, if RNH and Landeskog are picked first, I see Panthers taking Huberdeau and not Larsson. Larsson is a great prospect, but they need a forward badly and Huberdeau isn't that far off from those 3 previous

 

[Ogopogo*]

Edmonton Oilers Chief scout Stu MacGregor on Adam Larsson

• Scouting Report: "A great two-way defenseman with good offensive puck-moving ability. He's strong and he competes hard on the boards in and around the net."
• Projection: "A one or a two. Probably a two."
• Best Case Scenario: "His most potential? Possibly a one."
• Concerns: "He's a good skater but he's not a great skater. His offence is only OK at this point."

Thank you Stu!

I have been hearing all these things about how Larsson is playing 20 minutes a game against men in the SEL. That may be true but, if a guy is playing 20 minutes a game and only puts up 9 points during the season, that tells me he is not all that great offensively.

For a defenseman to be the #1 pick, he needs the whole package, IMO. It sounds like Larsson is lacking the offense to be that all around guy. I am glad Stu recognizes this. Based on what I have been hearing from the Oilers camp, RNH is definitely the guy and I am very good with that.

If we could just take that Kings 1st rounder and trade up to get Dougie Hamilton, the draft would be perfect.

 

[Nordic*]

In many situations it seems like he's not giving it his all, half-assed efforts leaving him screwed. I'm not sure where to put him, he hasn't developed that much the last year or so.

 

[Jolli]

Any plans for the next season? Staying in the SEL for another season?

He could also play in the AHL, right? Is it possible for him to play in the pre-season games even his team didn't sign him?

 

[wej20]

Any plans for the next season? Staying in the SEL for another season?

He could also play in the AHL, right? Is it possible for him to play in the pre-season games even his team didn't sign him?

He could play in the AHL but he'll either stay in the SEL or play in the NHL.

 

[R S]

If the Avs get him, I want him in the NHL.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Thank you Stu!

I have been hearing all these things about how Larsson is playing 20 minutes a game against men in the SEL. That may be true but, if a guy is playing 20 minutes a game and only puts up 9 points during the season, that tells me he is not all that great offensively.

That's faulty judgment though...all it actually should do is beg the question how much of those 20 minutes are on the PP. The answer is, not many.

Why were offensive skills not deemed good enough to play on the PP, which he played quite a bit more on the previous season? Because another young player emerged as one of the leagues best ODmen and statistically, the best one.

There really isn't anything glaring to me that says Larsson can't play on a high scoring #1 PP unit. I just don't think he's going to be the lead puck handler on the back end of one. He's got the skills needed to play on the PP much the same way that a Chara would, a Weber would, even a Lidstrom would. Hockey sense, puck handling, passing ability, good enough skating and the ability to shoot and one time. He's never going to run a PP and handle the puck enough to put up points like the top end distributors go, he'll never look like a Boyle, Keith, Karlsson etc, walking the line blindfolded.

The fact that Stu thinks he's more likely a #2 leads to me to ask the question....how many players in the past decade has Stu MacGregor projected to be a #1 Dman?

I bet it's less than 5. And I think I'm being generous. Any takes?

It's VERY difficult to be a legitimate #1 Dman in the NHL. And I think most scouts are almost scared to openly project one unless he's basically already that good.

 

[headsigh]

Pretty much the safest pick in the draft outside of Danny Catennaci.

 

[Uindicator]

I've always thought Dougie Hamilton was going to the best D in this draft but Larssons performance against Russia at the juniors made me think twice. Both Big Mobile defensemen any team would want.

 

[Ogopogo*]

That's faulty judgment though...all it actually should do is beg the question how much of those 20 minutes are on the PP. The answer is, not many.

Why were offensive skills not deemed good enough to play on the PP, which he played quite a bit more on the previous season? Because another young player emerged as one of the leagues best ODmen and statistically, the best one.

There really isn't anything glaring to me that says Larsson can't play on a high scoring #1 PP unit. I just don't think he's going to be the lead puck handler on the back end of one. He's got the skills needed to play on the PP much the same way that a Chara would, a Weber would, even a Lidstrom would. Hockey sense, puck handling, passing ability, good enough skating and the ability to shoot and one time. He's never going to run a PP and handle the puck enough to put up points like the top end distributors go, he'll never look like a Boyle, Keith, Karlsson etc, walking the line blindfolded.

The fact that Stu thinks he's more likely a #2 leads to me to ask the question....how many players in the past decade has Stu MacGregor projected to be a #1 Dman?
I bet it's less than 5. And I think I'm being generous. Any takes?

It's VERY difficult to be a legitimate #1 Dman in the NHL. And I think most scouts are almost scared to openly project one unless he's basically already that good.

Since becoming the Oilers head scout, Stu is 3 for 3 in producing NHL players from first round picks...Eberle, Paajarvi, Hall. That tells me that Stu seems to know what he is doing so, if he says Larsson lacks offensive ability and looks like a #2 defenseman, I think I will trust his judgement. The 9 points this season further confirms Stu's observations. If Larsson is buried behind two other defenseman for PP time, that says something about him offensively as well. 9 points would almost suggest he doesn't even see that much PP time on the 2nd unit.

Yes, this probably ruffles the feathers of Larsson fans but, I suspect that the Oilers European scouts have seen him play dozens of times to make that judgement.

I think Dougie Hamilton will be the best defenseman to come out of this draft. The Oilers best move is to take RNH and trade up to get Hamilton. That would be a home run.

 

[Avsboy]

Since becoming the Oilers head scout, Stu is 3 for 3 in producing NHL players from first round picks...Eberle, Paajarvi, Hall. That tells me that Stu seems to know what he is doing so, if he says Larsson lacks offensive ability and looks like a #2 defenseman, I think I will trust his judgement. The 9 points this season further confirms Stu's observations. If Larsson is buried behind two other defenseman for PP time, that says something about him offensively as well. 9 points would almost suggest he doesn't even see that much PP time on the 2nd unit.

Yes, this probably ruffles the feathers of Larsson fans but, I suspect that the Oilers European scouts have seen him play dozens of times to make that judgement.

I think Dougie Hamilton will be the best defenseman to come out of this draft. The Oilers best move is to take RNH and trade up to get Hamilton. That would be a home run.

Stu is just bluffing. He's selling the fanbase on RNH. It's clearly working.

 

[PeterTheGreat]

Since becoming the Oilers head scout, Stu is 3 for 3 in producing NHL players from first round picks...Eberle, Paajarvi, Hall. That tells me that Stu seems to know what he is doing so, if he says Larsson lacks offensive ability and looks like a #2 defenseman, I think I will trust his judgement. The 9 points this season further confirms Stu's observations. If Larsson is buried behind two other defenseman for PP time, that says something about him offensively as well. 9 points would almost suggest he doesn't even see that much PP time on the 2nd unit.

Yes, this probably ruffles the feathers of Larsson fans but, I suspect that the Oilers European scouts have seen him play dozens of times to make that judgement.

I think Dougie Hamilton will be the best defenseman to come out of this draft. The Oilers best move is to take RNH and trade up to get Hamilton. That would be a home run.

Larsson struggled with a nasty groin injury during this season as well as a banged up shoulder in the SEL playoffs. The WJC showed he has good offensive insticts and a nice skillset, as well as his rookie season in the SEL last year where he put up more points.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Stu is just bluffing. He's selling the fanbase on RNH. It's clearly working.

And, why would he bother doing that? Maybe because he believes RNH is a better prospect.

Stunning strategy!

 

[Hale The Villain]

Since becoming the Oilers head scout, Stu is 3 for 3 in producing NHL players from first round picks...Eberle, Paajarvi, Hall. That tells me that Stu seems to know what he is doing

Yeah because those 3 players were longshots to make the NHL. Good on Stu for turning them into NHL talent.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Yeah because those 3 players were longshots to make the NHL. Good on Stu for turning them into NHL talent.

????

There were a lot worse players picked ahead of Eberle at #22 in '08.

 

[Nihiliste]

And, why would he bother doing that? Maybe because he believes RNH is a better prospect.

Stunning strategy!

That's not what Avsboy meant. He's just saying that RNH is their guy, and it suits Stu's agenda to downplay the talents of the other players in contention as a PR move, so that the city will really get behind the RNH pick

 

[cheesed-off*]

Delete function...

 

[cheesed-off*]

...would be...

 

[cheesed-off*]

...nice...

 

[Freudian]

Since becoming the Oilers head scout, Stu is 3 for 3 in producing NHL players from first round picks...Eberle, Paajarvi, Hall. That tells me that Stu seems to know what he is doing so, if he says Larsson lacks offensive ability and looks like a #2 defenseman, I think I will trust his judgement. The 9 points this season further confirms Stu's observations. If Larsson is buried behind two other defenseman for PP time, that says something about him offensively as well. 9 points would almost suggest he doesn't even see that much PP time on the 2nd unit.

Yes, this probably ruffles the feathers of Larsson fans but, I suspect that the Oilers European scouts have seen him play dozens of times to make that judgement.

I think Dougie Hamilton will be the best defenseman to come out of this draft. The Oilers best move is to take RNH and trade up to get Hamilton. That would be a home run.

In this case it says more about those two players who were on the first power play unit than Larsson.

David Rundblad. One of those guys he was stuck behind on the PP had 10 points in 45 games in SEL during his draft year. He had 50 points this season.

Tim Erixon. The other guy he was stuck behind on PP had 7 points in 45 games his draft year. He had 24 points this year. He also was the offensive guy in the pairing with Larsson.

It is very unusual for 17-18 year olds to be #1 defenders in SEL. Them getting top 4 minutes and getting a few points here and there is an achievement in itself, even if they later go on to become well rounded defenders.