Buffalo Sabres Players Year In Review: Johan Larsson

Consistency and a positive outlook were tough traits to come by for the entire Buffalo Sabres team this year. Having a mentality to fight to win, and having the ability to play evenly at both ends of the ice were very much unheard of. Johan Larsson was able to accomplish that this year.

After having a bit of an up and down season the year previous, Larsson found a bit of his rhythm in Rochester at the start of this year. He hadn’t been able to put in a goal at the NHL level to that point, but he showed his drive to accomplish that.

While playing in Rochester, Larsson played 44 games and put up 15 goals and 25 assists for a total of 40 points. He put up nearly a point per game, and then on top of that he had a plus-minus of +12. The Americans struggled this year a little bit, but Larsson was a dominant force for them each night.

He never gave up and he worked to prove that he was too good of a player for the AHL and that he deserved a real shot at the NHL.

His consistent play and solid overall numbers earned him a call up in December.

He didn’t take long to cash in, and on December 20, against the Colorado Avalanche he got himself on the scoresheet.

Larsson started the play and eventually made his way towards the front of the net to tap in a rebound shot from Chris Stewart.

That goal sparked a vote of confidence in Coach Nolan and GM Tim Murray. Having to be sent down to Rochester only two more times after that goal (but only for short times) Larsson found himself playing for the NHL club for the second half of the season.

Larsson played a total of 39 games for the Buffalo Sabres this year; posting 6 goals and 10 assists for a total of 16 points. The key statistic that stands out above those average numbers is his plus-minus. Johan Larsson was the only Sabres to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat. Larsson posted a 0 for his plus-minus.

Yes, you read that correctly, Larsson managed to put up an even plus-minus during this abysmal season and he played nearly half of the season.

This consistent play earned Larsson his position on the team this year. Playing primarily on the third line to keep the depth in tact, he was a consistent force there. After Zemgus Girgensons went down with an injury, Larsson worked his way up to center the first line between Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson. While playing there, he showed a good amount of chemistry with Ennis and proved that he deserved a shot to stay in the NHL next year.

I will admit that I was very worried when Larsson wasn’t able to put any pucks in the back of the net in the NHL. I felt like he was going to be the next Mark Mancari; a great AHL player, but could never translate that success to the big leagues.

He proved me very wrong this year. He proved that he could run with the best in the league while playing on Buffalo’s first line, and that he can play at both ends of the ice. That is going to be a great quality for Buffalo in the future.

I see Johan Larsson as a transitional third and fourth line center. He has great possession play with some offensive upside. I do believe that he will play with Buffalo next year and that he will be a key part of the defensive and offensive efforts. He only needs to work on his foot speed and some of his positioning aspects of his game, and then he’ll be even better.

What do you all think of Larsson’s season, and where do you see him fitting in in the long run?

Next: Year In Review: Tyler Ennis

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