Player Discussion Adam Larsson (Hall talk will result in a thread ban)

[LaGu]

For clarity this would be an example of a carefully selected sample. With its intended distortion. Because Adam Larsson was -6 in the 4 games prior to this 4 game sample and is -7 on the season.

But Larsson hasn't been scorched in the last 4 games so we should all forget he was burned to a crisp by Ottawa, one of the worst lineups in the league.

But heres the thing. It might not be be the most objective thing to highlight that a player that has struggled for his 3 last seasons is somehow much better now on the basis of an outlier 4 game sample.

That said if Larsson has stats like this for the next month I'll look at it. Right now it means very little.

Wait, now you're turning this around for some reason. The only reason this thread was bumped is due to that lately the Larsson bashing is increasing in several threads.

I am questioning why people chose now to make him the whipping boy of the team, seeing as he's been getting and better since coming back from injury. In the last games he's been one of our better players.

This did not start with people praising him for some recent success.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Don't let that get in the way of important measures like # of jerseys in the stands (one of the strangest things I've ever read). Larsson's holding his own adequately as the whole team has disintegrated in November and December. When a league top scorer like Draisaitl is sporting -4 in November and -9 in December, this is a reflection of a very average team regressing massively against the means. This is a team failing with goaltending regressing; defense corp slipping; and forwards including top guns lapsing back to cheating habits that in this team's out of body experience to start the season are now fully on display.

Conveniently pinning it one one player is simply denying what all the fancy stats and rolling eye observations reveal. I think there's a lot of confirmation bias involved. But harsh reality is not one player on this roster is immune to the substandard team play and results in November and December.

Larsson will never be appreciated by Oiler fans because of who he was traded for

I feel sorry for him cause it's not his fault

 

[LaGu]

I dont get why anyone would complain about Larsson's game recently. He has been one of the better Dmen the last few games.
The concern right now should be for Nurse and Bear.

Both have looked bad lately...that needs to change if this team is going to get back on track.

Yeah, I mean things can change quickly and I know that this thread will become a bash-fest if Larsson struggles next game. That said I think his play is one of the few positives lately, if he can keep this up and Nurse/Bear get back to normal the D will look pretty good.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Larsson will never be appreciated by Oiler fans because of who he was traded for

I feel sorry for him cause it's not his fault

It is for his Coach, Manager and teammates to assess and know his value (or not). He's tough mentally and by accounts of his Coach worked his ass off to get back to health and in the lineup to help his team after a tough injury first period of first game of the year. Talking about the injury Tippett disclosed it happened in the first period but Larsson played with it until late in the 3rd period when the pain was too intense to continue. The guy is a warrior and mental toughness is vital in this game with little regard to what fans think.

He and all this team's players need to be better. As fans we love to see the flash and dash but hard. gritty no flash grinders are also needed to build quality teams and ones that can endure the tough marathon of playoff hockey. Coaching, Management and his fellow players feel Larsson warrants wearing a letter on this team. These in the know see and value this player. This has been a hugely frustrating team collapse which looking at numbers and eye balling the games both reveal massive slippage in every player's game.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Wait, now you're turning this around for some reason. The only reason this thread was bumped is due to that lately the Larsson bashing is increasing in several threads.

I am questioning why people chose now to make him the whipping boy of the team, seeing as he's been getting and better since coming back from injury. In the last games he's been one of our better players.

This did not start with people praising him for some recent success.

I haven't followed the board at all for months now so I'm not sure where anything got started or if I waded into anything. I'll step down from the thread if any nature of comment on the player is not wanted. Like I say I don't get the player, never have. I'm not trying to posit in anyway that I am objective on the player or that my view or anything is better. I get into discussions like this more to try to see things stated from supporters in the hopes of feeling better about relative players or the state of the team.

Sorry if through succumbing to general frustration that I went further than that. my bad.

Another Oilers freefall is hard on us all.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

because he was coming back from a big injury....took some time to get up to NHL speed

he's been the best defender the past 2 games

He's been coming back from a big injury for 2 seasons now.

 

[tardigrade81]

Larsson looked good in the buffalo game I thought.


So there’s that............

 

[Joey Moss]

Larsson has played very well of late. Thought he was our best D against Toronto, Minnesota, and Buffalo.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

With Bear having his worst game of the season against TO, it's important to remember that even a high end rookie like Bear needs insulation at times. I'm not sure if Lars is a long term fit here, but we cannot afford to Schultz Bear.

 

[replacement]

Larsson has played very well of late. Thought he was our best D against Toronto, Minnesota, and Buffalo.

I don't think we've ever seen Larsson activate quite this much. He's looked different in a positive way!

 

[belair]

Larsson sealing off Matthews on that 1v1 rush last night is the type of thing he does when he's on his game. Things that generally go by unnoticed because nobody scores, nobody gets a shot, nobody gets hit and corsi goes nowhere. The stuff that happens about 90% of the time in a hockey game.

I'm not sure what you're alluding to @Drivesaitl. You're asking why people don't endear themselves to a defensive defenseman who was also the trade return for the team's initial poster boy of the rebuild. He's been behind the eight ball here from the get go. I've never really understood the willingness of some posters to vilify players on this roster who are pretty much required to be key contributors for this version of the team to succeed.

 

[belair]

I don't think we've ever seen Larsson activate quite this much. He's looked different in a positive way!

He's probably our best defenseman in terms of sustaining an offensive cycle. He times his pinches really well. The problem is that if they mishandle the puck there's a possibility of missed coverage on the back check.

 

[LTIR]

Larsson will never be appreciated by Oiler fans because of who he was traded for

I feel sorry for him cause it's not his fault

Yeh maybe not speak for all Oilers fans or even the majority.
Larsson was a huge reason we made the playoffs that year. Bigger value player than Draisaitl in getting us in.
Having him allows other RDs to play sheltered minutes.
Larsson is a minute muncher who can go head to head against top lines.. PKer

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yeh maybe not speak for all Oilers fans or even the majority.
Larsson was a huge reason we made the playoffs that year. Bigger value player than Draisaitl in getting us in.
Having him allows other RDs to play sheltered minutes.
Larsson is a minute muncher who can go head to head against top lines.. PKer

I can put "in my opinion" if it makes you feel better..

you're literally one of the few people in this thread praising him

 

[Tyrolean]

I don't see him here next year.

 

[LaGu]

I haven't followed the board at all for months now so I'm not sure where anything got started or if I waded into anything. I'll step down from the thread if any nature of comment on the player is not wanted. Like I say I don't get the player, never have. I'm not trying to posit in anyway that I am objective on the player or that my view or anything is better. I get into discussions like this more to try to see things stated from supporters in the hopes of feeling better about relative players or the state of the team.

Sorry if through succumbing to general frustration that I went further than that. my bad.

Another Oilers freefall is hard on us all.

Amen to that.

It's all good, as usual. I am not in the best mood these days, partly due to work with all the end of the year crap to clean up but also due to this recent regression of the team. I don't have an issue discussing Larsson and/or other players, but really this time around I just found it odd (and annoying, probably thanks to my general mood) that he was singled out all over these boards despite him playing better than he has in a while and actually looking a lot like his old self (what I believe to be his old self). That is no excuse for the last seasons, those can be (and have) been discussed at lenght. I am just focused on the now.

 

[I am the Liquor]

With Bear having his worst game of the season against TO, it's important to remember that even a high end rookie like Bear needs insulation at times. I'm not sure if Lars is a long term fit here, but we cannot afford to Schultz Bear.

a couple rough games, largely abandoned by forwards abdicating defensive responsibility in large part because the whole team is chasing deficits caused by questionable goaltending.

the whole team needs to get much tighter, then we will see the d playing better. CFP wouldn’t look good back there right now.

 

[duul]

Larsson has been atrocious. At best a third pairing guy so far. Good God, what did Chiarelli do to this franchise...

 

[space321]

Yeh maybe not speak for all Oilers fans or even the majority.
Larsson was a huge reason we made the playoffs that year. Bigger value player than Draisaitl in getting us in.
Having him allows other RDs to play sheltered minutes.
Larsson is a minute muncher who can go head to head against top lines.. PKer

..... He got carried by Klefbom that season. The only reason he was thought of as a savior who brought us into the playoffs was because of what happened the summer prior.

Right now his play has deteriorated even further. He's not doing any sheltering out there, if anything he's the one that needs to be sheltered. Unfourtunately our RHD options are very limited, and the best we have is a rookie who obviously will be prone to mistakes.

 

[Draiskull]

..... He got carried by Klefbom that season. The only reason he was thought of as a savior who brought us into the playoffs was because of what happened the summer prior.

Right now his play has deteriorated even further. He's not doing any sheltering out there, if anything he's the one that needs to be sheltered. Unfourtunately our RHD options are very limited, and the best we have is a rookie who obviously will be prone to mistakes.

what is the proof of this? What was Klefbom before we acquired Larsson? can you define carrying? Is Bear carrying Nurse right now? As if Larsson was hanging onto his dear lift while Klefbom was covering his mistakes.

 

[I am the Liquor]

what is the proof of this? What was Klefbom before we acquired Larsson? can you define carrying? Is Bear carrying Nurse right now? As if Larsson was hanging onto his dear lift while Klefbom was covering his mistakes.

There will be no proof forthcoming because it is nonsense.

He has struggled since that season. That isn’t news to anyone either.

Norris Klefbom hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire lately, but really the whole team has been a dumpster fire since the last successful road trip.

 

[space321]

what is the proof of this? What was Klefbom before we acquired Larsson? can you define carrying? Is Bear carrying Nurse right now? As if Larsson was hanging onto his dear lift while Klefbom was covering his mistakes.

My definition of carrying: Klefbom was the driving force on that pairing. I don't deny that Larsson complemented him well that season, but taking the overall trend of both players before, during, and after that breakout season, I think it's fair to say Klefbom has higher level of play.

My proof: stats such as ice time, scoring, etc. Also Larsson/Klefbom's play with other defense partners relative to their level of play with each other. I see Larsson's play having deteriorated while having partners such as Nurse and Russell, while Klefbom has maintained a similar level now that he's healthy again. Perhaps Larsson is still injured idk?

Is Bear carrying Nurse right now? No. I don't know what that has to do with anything.

Was Klefbom covering Larsson's mistakes? No. However, being the more offensive option on a defense pairing doesn't mean you're the worse one. It is much harder to produce offense in this league compared to being a "stay at home D". Being a two-way player means you have to hone your game on two fronts. Larsson hasn't done that at all. That alone makes Klefbom the better player by my standards.

 

[LaGu]

My definition of carrying: Klefbom was the driving force on that pairing. I don't deny that Larsson complemented him well that season, but taking the overall trend of both players before, during, and after that breakout season, I think it's fair to say Klefbom has higher level of play.

My proof: stats such as ice time, scoring, etc. Also Larsson/Klefbom's play with other defense partners relative to their level of play with each other. I see Larsson's play having deteriorated while having partners such as Nurse and Russell, while Klefbom has maintained a similar level now that he's healthy again. Perhaps Larsson is still injured idk?

Is Bear carrying Nurse right now? No. I don't know what that has to do with anything.

Was Klefbom covering Larsson's mistakes? No. However, being the more offensive option on a defense pairing doesn't mean you're the worse one. It is much harder to produce offense in this league compared to being a "stay at home D". Being a two-way player means you have to hone your game on two fronts. Larsson hasn't done that at all. That alone makes Klefbom the better player by my standards.

If he is playing injured these last couple of games then I'd be pretty damn excited about where his game will be when healthy

- 20-25 mins of EV ice time per game.
- Heaviest starts both in terms of quality of opposition and defensive starts.
- Was essentially on for 1 GA while the Oilers let in 10 GA... (actually he was on for two, but one was a gift from either Nurse or Klefbom when they messed up a change - Nurse came off and Klefbom didn't come on, Larsson then jumped on instead but it was too late and he was never close to the play before they scored).
- His pair has outplayed the opposition in every metric these last games despite not playing with our first line.

Last seasons, fine he has struggled. Coming back from injury, fine he was not in game shape.

These last games he looks very good, that is not really an opinion.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Wait, now you're turning this around for some reason. The only reason this thread was bumped is due to that lately the Larsson bashing is increasing in several threads.

I am questioning why people chose now to make him the whipping boy of the team, seeing as he's been getting and better since coming back from injury. In the last games he's been one of our better players.

This did not start with people praising him for some recent success.

Stop making excuses for Larson. It's not like he had a broken leg in the first game of the season and has been sidelined for weeks while everyone else is in complete game shape.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Sorry haters..but Larsson is back
Another great game by him