Adam Larsson Appreciation thread

[Aceboogie]

With the way the media is going on, I'm convinced that if the Oilers make the playoffs this year they'll say it's all thanks to Kris Russell.

One day Larsson will get the respect he deserves, hopefully.

MSM need to pump russell to stick it to analytics guys (oiler fans are some of most active and vocal analytics bloggers). So he'll get a ton of hype there. Plus they grilled Chiarelli so much on hall trade they can't suddenly give him credit.

Larsson has been 3x the D Russell has been. Him and Klefbom are really meshing well

 

[CupofOil]

If your trading Hall, you have to get more than just Larsson in the return. PC did a terrible job and quite frankly I think he is a terrible GM. Oilers need a guy like Larsson but they should have gotten more in return.

I know I'm late quoting this post and don't want to turn this into a Chia debate but very good 1st line wingers don't get traded for a premium (Kessel, Nash - Hall comparables) so Larsson while not the sexy return was probably the best they could get for Hall especially with that very team friendly contract attached.

It's a classic win win so I don't know how anybody can say it was a terrible trade either way. Larsson has been huge for the Oilers, a rock on the blueline with tons of physicality (surprised the hell out of me) and probably the best outlet pass on the team. From what I've seen of the Devils, Hall has been his usual self. Driving the play and creating tons of scoring chances every game. Unfortunately, he's not getting much help right now but he's exactly the gamebreaker the Devils need. Win Win

 

[Edmonton East]

I know I'm late quoting this post and don't want to turn this into a Chia debate but good 1st line wingers don't get traded for a premium (Kessel, Nash - Hall comparables) so Larsson while not the sexy return was probably the best they could get for Hall especially with that very team friendly contract attached.

It's a classic win win so I don't know how anybody can say it was a terrible trade either way. Larsson has been huge for the Oilers, a rock on the blueline with tons of physicality (surprised the hell out of me) and probably the best outlet pass on the team. From what I've seen of the Devils, Hall has been his usual self. Driving the play and creating tons of scoring chances every game. Unfortunately, he's not getting much help right now but he's exactly the gamebreaker the Devils need. Win Win

So I didn't and still don't think this was a very lopsided trade. That said, you can't use value of Nash/Kessel when they were traded to substantiate Hall's value for numerous, obvious reasons. And even if you do, the Rangers gave up a ton for Nash who was older and on a much higher contract.

 

[devilsblood]

Just went over to the Edm board to see how those guys have taken to Lars. Some Quotes:

"Larsson has layed out more guys in 7 games as an Oiler than Hall did his whole career here."

"I really hope Nurse develops into 80% the D Larsson is. The 2 play pretty similar styles of D. Tough SOBs, defense first, good breaking out. Nurse has a ways to go but I hope he develops into a Larsson clone. Nurse is at similar spot Larsson was at same age"

"Larsson and Klefboms numbers have been outstanding. Klefbom is in single digits for high danger chances against. Larsson is at 13. So about 2 per game.. against top lines. If you take out Buffalo game they are probably at 1 per every 2 games (!!!)"

Larsson has been excellent, giving the Oilers a top-4 that is truly NHL quality. This isn't something this team has had in a very long time.

"Not measurable, I like how mean he plays, loose elbows and crosschecks, he makes people think about battling with him. You can't measure it, but I suspect it has an effect."

"S T U D, nuff said"

"What a sexy Defensemen!"

"This guy is a stud. I knew he was good defensively... but his physicality and compete level is a very nice surprise. He seems to be well liked as well. And the best part.. he's very cap friendly!"

 

[Devils Dominion]

Lars for Norris

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

Lars for Norris, Hall for Hart, Schneider for Vezina and Conn Smythe. Everyone is a winner

 

[devilsblood]

I know I'm late quoting this post and don't want to turn this into a Chia debate but very good 1st line wingers don't get traded for a premium (Kessel, Nash - Hall comparables) so Larsson while not the sexy return was probably the best they could get for Hall especially with that very team friendly contract attached.

It's a classic win win so I don't know how anybody can say it was a terrible trade either way. Larsson has been huge for the Oilers, a rock on the blueline with tons of physicality (surprised the hell out of me) and probably the best outlet pass on the team. From what I've seen of the Devils, Hall has been his usual self. Driving the play and creating tons of scoring chances every game. Unfortunately, he's not getting much help right now but he's exactly the gamebreaker the Devils need. Win Win

I think the physicality was a very underappreciated part of his game. He was not a huge hitter per se, but working in the corners and in front of the net, that part of his game really stood out, at least in my eyes.

And as you note the break out.

I actually thought his ability to combine the two, working the puck out of the corners, positioning himself to make a pass, and then making the productive pass was the most impressive part of his game.

 

[devilsblood]

Lars for Norris, Hall for Hart, Schneider for Vezina and Conn Smythe. Everyone is a winner

Oilers vs Dev's in Finals?

 

[Zippy316]

So I didn't and still don't think this was a very lopsided trade. That said, you can't use value of Nash/Kessel when they were traded to substantiate Hall's value for numerous, obvious reasons. And even if you do, the Rangers gave up a ton for Nash who was older and on a much higher contract.

There's one major flaw to this argument though. The Oilers needed a RHD like Larsson, that is undeniable.

That being said, what else could they possibly have gone that would even out the value? A pick? A decent prospect (Blandisi, Jacobs)? An easily replaceable NHL player (ala Josefson/Boucher/DSP)?

The Oilers needed Larsson. To be honest, they did not need anything else but Larsson. They have a strong center group (McDavid - RNH - Drasaitl - Letestu), they have strong RWs (Eberle, Puljujarvi, Kassian), they have strong LWs (Lucic, Pouliout, Maroon), they have a wealth of LDs (Klefbom, Sekera Nurse, Davidson, Oesterle, and other prospects), and they have their goalie in Talbot.

There really was nothing else the Oilers needed besides a bonafide shutdown RD. Shero knew that more than anybody and didn't budge. The only thing that the Oilers could've really asked for was an additional pick, but Shero was likely smart enough to say take it or leave it. Larsson on his cap-friendly deal was perfect for Chiarelli.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

Oilers vs Dev's in Finals?

I'd be down with that. It would collectively piss off everyone not in Edmonton or NJ. That's a win in my book. I was always and am still a fan of Larsson and I am glad to see him being not only successful but appreciated in Edmonton. I like that he's in the Western Conference so I don't have to root against him more than a few times a season. He was always a very good team player and just all around nice guy and I was hoping he wouldn't get eaten alive in Edmonton. Couldn't be happier for him at this point. Trade was really a win/win in the truest sense of the word.

 

[Nubmer6]

There really was nothing else the Oilers needed besides a bonafide shutdown RD. Shero knew that more than anybody and didn't budge. The only thing that the Oilers could've really asked for was an additional pick, but Shero was likely smart enough to say take it or leave it. Larsson on his cap-friendly deal was perfect for Chiarelli.

I'm pretty sure it was reported that Chiarelli asked for a pick on top of Larson, and Shero held firm.

 

[snipes]

I'd be down with that. It would collectively piss off everyone not in Edmonton or NJ. That's a win in my book. I was always and am still a fan of Larsson and I am glad to see him being not only successful but appreciated in Edmonton. I like that he's in the Western Conference so I don't have to root against him more than a few times a season. He was always a very good team player and just all around nice guy and I was hoping he wouldn't get eaten alive in Edmonton. Couldn't be happier for him at this point. Trade was really a win/win in the truest sense of the word.

Agreed. That's the consensus it seems now. Pure hockey trade, you guys needed more offence/drivers and a guy like Hall was perfect. We desperately needed a Dman like Larsson, by the way, he's way more physical than I was expecting. What a beast.

This might go down as one of the best pure win-win trades in recent NHL history. We're so happy Hall is working out for you guys, and you guys are equally happy Larsson is working out for us. Both sides are arguing about who is happier for the other, how much better can it get?

Devils are now my #2 team, wish you guys nothing but the best (I know many Devils fans have reciprocated the same sincerity our way). Here's to hoping we battle for Lord Stanley one day, with Edmonton winning of course .

 

[MadDevil]

In fairness, he is playing with another pretty good young defenseman in Klefbom, so it's not like he went from playing with Greene to dragging some scrub around.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Surprised he is playing with so much snarl. Good for him.

 

[McNuge]

In fairness, he is playing with another pretty good young defenseman in Klefbom, so it's not like he went from playing with Greene to dragging some scrub around.

The past two games Klefbom wasn't looking too hot. Larsson bailed him out on more than one occasion. He has been incredible! Really wishing Hall the best of luck, he was one of the reasons I started following the Oilers.

Just picked up Zacha in my fantasy team so let's hope they really get going, he is very similar to Draisaitl in terms of size and similar play. Should really gel well with Hall.

 

[mtnet]

Real glad Larsson is fulfilling his role and at times exceeding expectations. I wanted him to succeed with fans over there as he had a raw deal under PDB until getting the playing time and contract he deserved post-PDB. After that I thought he'd be a foundation player for years here. The trade was indeed a sudden and shocking development. Worked out great for both teams though and EDM looks really good so far this year.

Glad to hear he's playing more physical on a sustained basis too. He definitely showed he has the ability for that here because he tends to position for it well and drive guys into the corners to force turnovers or wear them down but I'd probably stop short of saying snarl was a hallmark of his game. On the other hand compared to the some of the softy D we've had on the roster in recent years he was a relative beast by comparison.

 

[goonybird]

I'm pretty sure it was reported that Chiarelli asked for a pick on top of Larson, and Shero held firm.

That was indeed the case. It was probably Severson (reportedly a different Devils defender) for a different forward (probably RNH) and Chia came calling for Larsson. Shero said that Hall is the asking price. Chia asked for added value and Shero said no.

 

[MadDevil]

The past two games Klefbom wasn't looking too hot. Larsson bailed him out on more than one occasion. He has been incredible! Really wishing Hall the best of luck, he was one of the reasons I started following the Oilers.

Just picked up Zacha in my fantasy team so let's hope they really get going, he is very similar to Draisaitl in terms of size and similar play. Should really gel well with Hall.

That's good to hear. It's really kind of hard not to like the kid, and not just because of what he does on the ice. I remember Henrique tweeting about Larsson being like a brother and how he was going to miss him, so he seems to be a very likeable person. I do wish him well in Edmonton (except when they're playing the Devils of course). I'm sure that first game is going to be interesting because it will literally be Hall vs Larsson.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

If it means anything that's the national media more than anything. The local media in Edmonton have been in love with Larsson since game two (for good reason).

I think in Edmonton, anyone who thrashes Johnny around and keeps him pointless will get some serious kudos.

 

[sandhu111]

the way you could really tell this team is a win win for both teams is if you had a chance to do a do-over, I don't think either team would do it.

Hall is the driver of NJ's offence
Larsson is a top pairing shutdown D-man that eats minuets and stabilized our defence

 

[Soundwave]

As much focus is put on Hall and Larsson I honestly believe the deal only gets done because of another player -- Milan Lucic.

Chiarelli knew he had Lucic in the bag, or at least a very, very good idea, but that would leave the Oilers with way too much money tied up on the LW ($6 million for Hall, $6 million for Lucic, $4 million for Pouliot) and very little spent on D.

After signing Milan, Chia talked about how he was speaking with Lucic's wife as they were touring the new Oilers arena and he was telling her which schools to put the kids in and stuff like that ... that's pretty much a done deal.

Once he knew he had a good shot at Lucic, I think then and only then was the Hall/Larsson trade a green light to go.

They've both been very good this season so far.

Hall, 7GP, 5G, 2A, 7 Pts, -1

Lucic 8GP 4G, 3A, 7 Pts, +5

 

[TaiMaiShu]

As much focus is put on Hall and Larsson I honestly believe the deal only gets done because of another player -- Milan Lucic.

Chiarelli knew he had Lucic in the bag, or at least a very, very good idea, but that would leave the Oilers with way too much money tied up on the LW ($6 million for Hall, $6 million for Lucic, $4 million for Pouliot) and very little spent on D.

After signing Milan, Chia talked about how he was speaking with Lucic's wife as they were touring the new Oilers arena and he was telling her which schools to put the kids in and stuff like that ... that's pretty much a done deal.

Once he knew he had a good shot at Lucic, I think then and only then was the Hall/Larsson trade a green light to go.

They've both been very good this season so far.

Hall, 7GP, 5G, 2A, 7 Pts, -1

Lucic 8GP 4G, 3A, 7 Pts, +5

That's great and all, but that's a bit of a backhanded statement there. David Clarkson could put up points next to McD right now.

 

[Fourier]

My immediate reaction to the deal was disappointment that the Oilers did not get another piece out of the trade. I'd watched Larsson a fair bit since he entered the League and saw the growth in his game in 2014-2015 but only saw a couple of Devil's games in 2015-2016. I knew he was very good defensively and that the value was not off as much as some thought but after doing some digging post trade it became clear that this was more than a bit of an understatement.

Statistically what he and Greene did last year was ridiculous especially given the nature of the assignment they had night in and night out. But it was not until I watched about half a dozen archived games that it was clear how much his game had matured even over 2014-2015.

Many Oiler fans at the time of the trade knew little or nothing about Larsson. The Devils don't draw a lot of attention out west and there were a lot of misconceptions floating around. It didn't help that Fayne has been very up and down with the Oilers but that many knew he had had some success playing with Greene. So many fans dismissed Larsson as being a product of Greene. The other misconception is that the Devils still play the same lock-down style from the days of Lemaire and that with a less disciplined Oilers team Larsson would be exposed. This is really flat out ignorance on the part of many in our fan base, something that unfortunately is all too uncommon with all fan bases. But it hasn't taken long for the vast majority to realise that Larsson is the real deal. He's played great and has complemented Klefbom extremely well.

What has surprised me though is how nasty he has been. I'd seen aspects of his physical game with the Devils but he has really ramped that up with the Oilers. I was at the home opener and watched him a fair bit away from the play. He's got a real old school way about him. He lays the lumber on far more than most present day defensemen and when he hits guys they feel it. But unlike some of the League's other physical defenders he never seems to take himself out of the play to make a hit.

So far this trade has been great for both teams. The Oilers got a terrific defender who is a calming presence. The Devils got a dynamic player with absolutely elite skills. He's a player that I am sure you will enjoy watching for years to come.

 

[A91]

Devils fans you guys are a classy bunch.
Good to see you want success for Lars, not the usual by many fanbases around here.
In Edmonton either you absolutely love or hate Hall, no middle ground, i'd say its about 50-50. Im in the group that loves Hall, I find myself checking Devils stats every game now, wishing the best for Hallsy and his career in NJ!

 

[Baemon Severson*]

A lot of the Oilers analytics community are not thrilled with Lars' play. I hope fans don't turn on him if they start losing