Larsen’s shot a key to success
Canucks newcomer pegged for first power-play unit with Sedins
None of the Canucks’ team-building techniques are going to matter a lick if they don’t fix the power play.
It tanked this past year after a successful first season under assistant coach Perry Pearn’s watch, as the Canucks dipped from 11th to 27th.
It’s why the team prioritized adding a right-shot, power-play specialist.
The player they got, Philip Larsen, isn’t exactly a sure bet to work, but Pearn likes his chances.
“My nephew played with him in Helsinki last year,” Pearn said. “He was really, really positive in terms of what (Larsen) can bring from an offensive standpoint.
“He said his puck possession skills, and the accuracy of his shot, and ability to move the puck and see the ice are all really, really good. “Those are all good things.” It’s expected, if all goes according to plan, Larsen will be tapped to play with the Sedins on the first power-play unit, possibly taking the place of Alex Edler, a left-shot defenceman.
“It could help, but you can’t say that (you need right-shot players to work with the twins),” Pearn said, “because sometimes you’re going need left-shot players to play with them.
“If you had absolutely the right people, I think three right shots could be very good. But you have to have the right people.”
Larsen may not have the booming one-timer of some others, but scouts do believe he has a natural ability to get shots on net, a skill that worked very well with the Sedins when Christian Ehrhoff was in Vancouver.
Of course, Larsen still has to make the team and earn his way into the top six for opening night.
That’s something another rightshot power play specialist, Yannick Weber, was not able to do last year. jbotchford@postmedia.com Twitter.com/botchford