Detroit Red Wings: A check-up on the organization’s goaltending prospects

Filip Larsson, Seven games in AHL and ten games in ECHL

First up is one of the goaltenders who has been quite disappointing since making his jump from the NCAA into the minors. Larsson did not have a good first season in the minor leagues, finding himself getting demoted from the AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids Griffins.

Larsson is a sixth-round selection from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has been considered the organization’s best goalie since. He stands 6-foot-2, weighing in at 181-pounds and played his college hockey with the University of Denver.

In college, Larsson posted a 13-6-3 record with a 1.95 goals-against average (GAA), and a .932 save percentage (SV%) while playing in arguably the best college hockey conference in the country, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

After making the jump from the NCHC to the AHL, things got tough for Larsson when he posted a 2-5-0 record with a 4.01 GAA with a .843 SV% with the Griffins. This lackluster performance would ultimately earn him a demotion to the ECHL to play with the Toledo Walleye.

Down in the trenches of the ECHL, the “prized prospect” got himself in order and spent ten games with the squad. Larsson posted a 4-6 record with a 2.72 GAA and .910 SV% with the Walleye. Though the record may not show this, it seemed that Larsson was getting things under control.

Though things did not shake out for Larsson as they expected, he is still one of the organization’s top prospects among goaltenders. Larsson will use the upcoming season as an opportunity to bounce back and earn his spot in the AHL once again.