NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Jacob Larsson

Get to Know Jacob Larsson

Date of Birth: April 29, 1997
Place of Birth: Ljungby, Sweden
Ht: 6’2”  Wt: 185 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Defense
Team: Frolunda (SHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Future Considerations:

He is a two-way defenseman. Solid positioning and pretty big and strong, I’d say he is probably bigger than the official measurements. Quite a good skater with decent mobility. Not very speedy and at the same time not slow. Good at moving the puck but not very flashy. Solid defensively using smarts over strength

Ben Kerr, Last Word on Sports:

Larsson’s defensive game is his real strength.  He is gritty and willing to battle in front of the net and in the corners but is not one to throw big hits. He could use an increase in upper body strength to play at the pro level though. Larsson reads the play well and has very good positioning.  He is willing to block shots and uses an active stick to cut down passing lanes.  He has very good gap control and forces opposing forwards to the outside. When he gets the puck, Larsson moves it out of the zone quickly and starts the transition game.  He also can skate the puck out of pressure on the forecheck.

Bill Placzek, DraftSite.com: 

Developing Swedish defender with size, strong North-South leg drive, a long reach, and first pass break out capability. A work in progress who needs to fill in and to improve his skating stride.

NHL Potential

With good size, strength, and understanding of the defensive game, Jacob Larsson has the potential to play a solid defensive game in the NHL. Larsson’s strong skating and passing also give him the ability to move the puck at a high level. If Larsson continues to develop he should be a two-way defenseman at the NHL level who is dependable on both ends of the ice.

Expected Draft Position

Many scouts rank Jacob Larsson near the bottom of the first round, but some believe he could go late in the second round.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

If the Avalanche choose a forward with their 10th overall selection, Jacob Larsson could be a good fit for the Avs in the second round. The Avalanche have a number of high quality left-shooting defenseman in their prospect system, but it remains their single greatest need at the NHL level. Jacob Larsson would bring size and solid two-way play, and give the Avalanche another chance at improving their future defense on the left side.

For a look at some of the other defensemen available near Larsson, check out these prospect profiles:
Oliver Kylington
Noah Juulsen
Vince Dunn
Travis Dermott
Brandon Carlo