AHL: Jacob Larsson (San Diego – Anaheim)

Jacob Larsson, a first round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2015 (29th) was ranked as the third best prospect in our ranking of Ducks prospects at the beginning of the season. 

After being returned to Sweden last season after appearing for both the Ducks and the San Diego Gulls, he is establishing himself on the Gulls following off season knee surgery. Tom Dorsa provides a detailed report and expects Larsson to make the transition to the NHL in the next calendar year.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

15 October 2016: Anaheim Ducks Defenceman Jacob Larsson (51) skates with the puck during the second period in the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Skating: Larsson is an extremely gifted skater. Great acceleration highlighted by his intensely superb foot quickness and first few steps. The Swede gets to where he is headed quickly thanks to his high-end speed that rivals the best skaters in the division. He adjusts well to plays on his skates; very reactive foot quickness and agility. Has solid pivoting power that allows for him to gain speed or check up in stride without losing momentum. His only issue from a skating standpoint is his inability to pace himself; he can get flat-footed and beat late into his shifts. Grade: 55.

Shot: Good, not great, shot that can improve by a lot. Skilled at adjusting his body to take one-timers off of suspect passes. Wrister is decently fast, but not blazing although it is extremely accurate. With time and space to unleash a wrist shot, Larsson can do some damage for the Gulls, especially when he steps into his shot to increase velocity, which he does well. Also has a good set of fake shots that lose defenders quite often. If his slap shot improves like his wrist shot suggests it can, Larsson can become a tier-one offensive weapon. Grade: 50.

Skills: Larsson has quick hands that he uses well in a variety of ways. Holds the stick tight and keeps the puck near his body to better elude defenders. He is good at assessing plays and acting accordingly as the puck-handler. Good at drawing defenders, allowing him to either finagle through traffic or pass and generate shots. Needs to round out his skills game a little more than he has now, but clearly has the talents to take over games from the blueline. Grade: 50

Smarts: Larsson is a pretty smart player for one that plays a notoriously risky game. Nearly always dictates his team’s pace when on the ice with his superb vision and well-versed offensive gameplay. He is often out defending late-game leads, which indicates a level of trust within the coaching staff. Does not play very tight gaps to the opposing forward, he lets his length and active stick do the job. Can sometimes get too greedy and put the puck in bad spots; needs to balance his enviable vision with an improved decision-making process. Grade: 50

Physicality: Larsson is very physical skater for his size and experience, or lack thereof, in North American pro hockey. His 6-2" frame gives him great length, which he uses well to get his body in front of defenders for loose pucks. Likes to step in front of shots and pass attempts, and also is not afraid to bump and bang behind the goal. Clears the crease like a seasoned veteran, just needs to do so a little more often to complete his defensive game. Grade: 55

Summary: Jacob Larsson is another talented defenseman in an organization famous for churning out skilled blueliners one after another. He is a beautiful skater with a good sense for doing anything he can to assist efforts in putting the puck in the net. Alongside Marcus Pettersson in San Diego, the Ducks will enjoy years of more groundbreaking puck-movement from the rearguards in orange and black. Larsson’s first full year in North America has been a bit of a struggle as he has battled some injuries, all the while dealing with the undying expectations of being a first-round selection, but he has handled things well when healthy and confident. His ceiling as an NHLer could be a 50-point defenseman – it is fair to say he is good for 30-40 yearly once he makes the show. Expect Larsson to compete for an Anaheim roster spot in the coming calendar year.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 52