McLellan: Larsson has become the anchor Oilers needed on defense
A massive performance on the part of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson raised an inevitable line of questioning following a Game 1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Larsson scored two goals - including the game-winner - and recorded an assist to become the first defenseman in team history to register at least three points in the third period of a playoff game, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.
Of course, no one will ever forget that the Swede came to Edmonton by way of a trade with the New Jersey Devils that saw star winger Taylor Hall sent the other way. Following the win, Oilers head coach Todd McLellan was asked about the impact Larsson has had on the club, once again having to address the merits of the deal.
"We needed to improve our blue line, and we needed an anchor back there. Larsson has become that," McLellan told reporters.
"We could have kept floundering without fixing that hole. ... What (Chiarelli) did to change the complexion of our team takes a lot of courage. It's not an easy thing to do when you're trading a player of Taylor's caliber and popularity in the community. Taylor's a tremendous player, but Larsson does solidify things back there for us."
Larsson isn't known as an offensive dynamo, having recorded 19 points during the regular season with one previous three-point outing along the way.
It's his defensive prowess that caught the Oilers' eye, and so far in the playoffs, he leads the team in total ice time with positive possession numbers at even strength, per Corsica Hockey. In other words, he's shouldering a heavy load and largely succeeding in keeping the puck away from goaltender Cam Talbot.
The trade will continue to draw questions, but in the meantime, Larsson is indeed proving to be a key piece for the new-look Oilers.