As Larsson was chosen as Team Sweden's third goalie, there was speculation he was going to be relegated to the bench throughout the WJSS and not see any playing time.
However, in Sweden's third game, Larsson was the surprise starter in net against Team USA (a 3-2 loss) and his impressive play earned him the start in Sweden's fifth and final game against archrival Finland (a 6-5 overtime victory).
Though Larsson wasn't happy with his performance against the Finns, the WJSS set the stage for his first season playing in North America where he became a star for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.
Despite missing 30 games for the Storm this year after suffering a lower-body injury (groin tweak) on February 24, Larsson was still named the 2018 USHL Goaltender of the Year and to the All-USHL First Team.
Larsson will begin his collegiate hockey career next season for the University of Denver Pioneers.
167- Larsson was taken by the Red Wings with the 16th pick of the sixth round, 167th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
18 - Number of wins Larsson had in 30 starts in goal for the Storm this season.
7 - Larsson had seven shutouts, which ranked second in the USHL. Only the Omaha Lancers' Zach Driscoll had more with eight.
1.65- Larsson's goals-against average for the season, which was the second-best in league history. Marty Magers had a 1.62 goals-against average during the 2001-02 season for the Omaha Lancers.
.941 - In 15 years as the USA's only Tier I junior hockey league, there has never been a goalie with a better save percentage than Larsson's .941 he posted last season.
1,677/46/738- Number of minutes Larsson played, number of goals he allowed and the total number of saves he made during his record-setting season for the Storm.
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
