DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner filed a “By the Numbers” report on Red Wings goaltending prospect Filip Larsson, who was named the USHL’s Goaltender of the Year for his 2017-18 season performance with the Tri-City Storm.
Larsson is headed to the University of Denver for the 2018-19 season, and while his numbers are superb, Regner’s conversation with Wings goaltending development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson is more noteworthy:
Quotable: “As far as our organization, where he stands is he is right at the top of the pecking order of prospects that are not signed right now. He adds minor league depth with NHL potential. You don’t want to rush these guys just because they had a big year. We’ll see what happens over the next one to two years of evaluation from our standpoint. Filip is a very good blocking goalie; from the face-off dots on to the goal line he covers space effectively into his posts and he’s very calm. He plays a pretty conservative game and we’d like to see him get a little more depth in that situation. Like (the New York Rangers’) Henrik Lundqvist, he commands his net very well. Ultimately what you’ll see is his patience in the net itself, absorbing rebounds, which is a huge thing. He’s going to be a very good pro because he studies the game so well. We’ll see what the future holds for Filip Larsson, but from what we see he’s in good hands and in a good mindset going to Denver and what I see is someone who has that potential to possibly crack an NHL lineup for Detroit someday.” – Brian Mahoney-Wilson, Red Wings goaltending development coach
Denver is a great club for him to be at. They are a very good team and are needing a goalie. I sure hope he wins the battle for #1 there.