| STORIES |
- Sunday, June 26, 2005: Age isn’t everything
- Sunday, June 25, 2006: Wings fast forward at the draft
- Monday, January 21, 2008: Crunch time for Swedes
- Monday, March 17, 2008: Oulahen puts in time on farm
- Monday, May 5, 2008: Red Wings keep ‘getting lucky’
- Monday, May 12, 2008: Coach unsure about Leino’s NHL future
- Monday, May 19, 2008: Larsson positioned for success
- Monday, December 1, 2008: Will Howard’s time come?
- Monday, January 5, 2009: Larsson pushing Howard in AHL
- Monday, January 12, 2009: Not drafted, but no slouch
- Monday, January 26, 2009: Johnston jumps, but can go higher
- Tuesday, January 12, 2010: Larsson, next in line, learns ropes
- Tuesday, March 2, 2010: Growing pains for McCollum
- Tuesday, May 25, 2010: Johnston achieves rare feat
- Wednesday, March 16, 2011: Mrazek keeps getting better in OHL
- Wednesday, April 6, 2011: Larsson still needs ‘another step up’
|
| AWARDS |
- 2007-08 Swedish Elite League rookie of the year
- 2007-08 Swedish Elite League Honken Trophy (top goaltender)
- 2008-09 PlanetUSA all-star
|
| HISTORY |
2004-05:
- Spent year with Boden at Sweden’s second level (28 GP, 3.84 GAA, .890 SPCT).
- Unranked by Central Scouting entering and went undrafted for a second straight year.
|
2005-06:
- Carried a poor Hammarby team that finished 14th of 15 teams at Sweden’s second level.
- Despite little support, posted league’s third-best save percentage at .917 and had 2.67 GAA.
- Helped Sweden to fifth-place finish at world junior championship (4 GP, 0.96 GAA, .952 SPCT).
- Selected in the third round (92nd overall) by Detroit in 2006 draft in Vancouver.
|
2006-07:
- Joined Djurgarden for Swedish Elite League rookie year (24 GP, 3 SO, 2.53 GAA, .910 SPCT).
- Particularly strong in first two months (10 GP, 1.68 GAA, .941 SPCT).
- Received media attention as candidate for Swedish national team, but didn’t make it.
- Numbers dipped in second half and eventually lost starts to Teemu Lassila (35 to 24 in total).
|
2007-08:
- Took over starter’s job from departed Teemu Lassila with Djurgarden of Swedish Elite League.
- Helped team surpass low expectations and earn playoff spot.
- Third in league in save percentage (.921), third in goals against (2.29) and second in shutouts (six).
- Posted 2.64 GAA and .920 SPCT in five-game first-round playoff loss to Linkoping.
- Edged out by Henrik Lundqvist, Stefan Liv and Mikael Tellqvist for spot at IIHF world championship.
- Signed two-year entry-level contract with Red Wings in May.
|
2008-09:
- Allowed two goals on 19 shots in 29 minutes of NHL pre-season action.
- Assigned to Grand Rapids (AHL) as part of Detroit’s first round of cuts.
- Played his way onto PlanetUSA all-star team with an outstanding first half.
- Posted all five of his shutouts from Oct. 1 to end of December.
- Went 14-4-1 with a 2.28 GAA and .925 Sv% from Oct. 1 to end of December.
- Shelled in AHL All-Star Game (five goals on 19 shots).
- Battled injuries, including a concussion, and saw numbers slip down stretch.
- Finished tied for third in the AHL with five shutouts.
- Took a backseat to Jimmy Howard in AHL playoffs and didn’t play a single minute.
|
2008-09:
- Allowed two goals on 19 shots in 29 minutes of NHL pre-season action.
- Assigned to Grand Rapids (AHL) as part of Detroit’s first round of cuts.
- Played his way onto PlanetUSA all-star team with an outstanding first half.
- Posted all five of his shutouts from Oct. 1 to end of December.
- Went 14-4-1 with a 2.28 GAA and .925 Sv% from Oct. 1 to end of December.
- Shelled in AHL All-Star Game (five goals on 19 shots).
- Battled injuries, including a concussion, and saw numbers slip down stretch.
- Finished tied for third in the AHL with five shutouts.
- Took a backseat to Jimmy Howard in AHL playoffs and didn’t play a single minute.
|
2009-10:
- Took over full-time AHL starting job with Grand Rapids.
- Posted respectable numbers but was inconsistent (23-24-2, 2.85 GAA, .903 Sv%).
- Struggled with consistency behind a poor defensive team that didn’t make the playoffs.
- Earned several NHL call-ups as a backup but didn’t appear in any game action.
- Signed two-year contract with Swedish Elite League’s HV-71 with NHL out-clause after one year.
- Told HockeySverige.se “two seasons was enough” in AHL.
- Also told HockeySverige that “NHL is still my ultimate goal. I think this is the best way to get there.”
|
2010-11:
- Returned to Swedish Elite League and led HV-71 to first-place finish (32-16-7).
- Posted decent numbers in 45 appearances (2.53 GAA, eighth in league; .917 Sv%, sixth; 2 SO).
- Lost starting job at playoff time to 10-game backup Andreas Andersson.
- Regained starting job after Andersson faltered in a pair of starts.
- Couldn’t turn tide in pair of setbacks ( 2.58 GAA, .893 Sv%) as HV-71 lost in a first-round upset.
|
| SCOUT COMMENTS |
|
“He plays big in net, stands up well, challenges shooters well, has athletic ability, and is very composed in the way he plays the game. He’s got the athletic ability, now it’s how he learns the game and matures.” — Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2006) … “He’s really exceeded our expectations. He’s been very good for us. He plays a very simple style. He doesn’t have a lot of extra movement in his game. He just gets out there and blocks the puck and he’s very economical in his moves.” — Griffins general manager Bob McNamara (January 2009) … “His big thing, he’s not a big goalie and he’s got to learn to be outside of the paint all the time and that’s easier said than done at times. When you’re playing in the minors, there is a lot of action going on.” — Nill (January 2010).
|
| STRENGTHS |
| Stand-up style … Solid athleticism, though not the highlight-reel goalie … Good glove … Quick feet … Excellent side-to-side quickness … Smart and skilled with his stick … An advisor to the Red Wings compared Larsson to New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist prior to the draft. |
| WEAKNESSES |
| Plays stand-up style but isn’t a particularly big goaltender … Still needs to work on his positional game … Must battle more in traffic to challenge shooters and cut down angles … Needs to show the mental toughness to shake off bad goals, bad streaks and scrutiny. |
| PROJECTION |
|
Larsson showed he could play in AHL and was entrenched as the Red Wings’ third-stringer before bolting back to the Swedish Elite League and signing with HV-71. Larsson said at the time it was the best way to get the NHL, but he had plenty to learn about the North American game. The Red Wings hang onto his rights indefinitely as a defected player, but assistant GM Jim Nill told MLive.com in May 2012 it is highly unlikely Larsson will return to North America in their system. |
Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
GAA |
SVS% |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
GAA |
SVS% |
| 2001-2002 |
Norrbotten |
TV-Pucken |
5 |
3.61 |
.902 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden U16 (all) |
International-Jr |
5 |
3.30 |
.906 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2002-2003 |
Luleå J18 |
J18 Allsvenskan |
12 |
4.10 |
.868 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden U17 (all) |
International-Jr |
4 |
3.69 |
.861 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2003-2004 |
Luleå J20 |
SuperElit |
4 |
3.01 |
.895 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Bodens IK |
Allsvenskan |
1 |
3.00 |
.909 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden U18 |
WJC-18 |
1 |
4.00 |
.867 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden U18 (all) |
International-Jr |
8 |
2.99 |
.891 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2004-2005 |
Bodens IK |
Allsvenskan |
28 |
3.84 |
.890 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2005-2006 |
Hammarby J20 |
SuperElit |
9 |
2.63 |
.927 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Hammarby |
Allsvenskan |
28 |
2.67 |
.917 |
| |
Kvalserien AS |
8 |
2.77 |
.918 |
| |
Sweden U20 |
WJC-20 |
4 |
0.96 |
.952 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
8 |
1.54 |
.926 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2006-2007 |
Djurgården |
Elitserien |
24 |
2.53 |
.911 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2007-2008 |
Djurgården |
Elitserien |
46 |
2.29 |
.921 |
| |
Playoffs |
5 |
2.64 |
.920 |
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
5 |
2.42 |
.912 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
40 |
2.76 |
.907 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
53 |
2.85 |
.903 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2010-2011 |
HV71 |
Elitserien |
45 |
2.53 |
.917 |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
2.58 |
.894 |
| |
HV71 |
ET |
5 |
1.00 |
.968 |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
3.30 |
.914 |
| |
Sweden EHT |
EHT |
6 |
3.00 |
.910 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
3 |
1.96 |
.937 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
HV71 |
Elitserien |
36 |
2.20 |
.921 |
| |
Playoffs |
4 |
2.31 |
.914 |
| |
HV71 |
ET |
4 |
1.97 |
.936 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2012-2013 |
AIK |
Elitserien |
- |
- |
- |
| |
|
|
|
|
Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
