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Devils’ Larsson isn’t thrilled about being a frequent healthy scratch

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Whether he’s the future of the New Jersey Devils defense, it’s clear that Adam Larsson isn’t the go-to guy in the present.

It sounds like he’s on the verge of being a healthy scratch for the third game in a row on a struggling team. The 20-year-old admitted more than a little frustration about his situation to The Bergen Record.

“I guess that’s up to the coach. It isn’t up to me,” Larsson said. “If I get a spot in the lineup, I will give all I can to stay in there. But it’s pretty tough right now and I don’t have probably the best confidence. I guess that’s normal when you’re sitting. Like I’ve always said, it’s never fun. I don’t think it ever will be fun to sit out. So, it’s frustrating, it’s tough, but I guess that’s part of the process.”

The fourth overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft didn’t sound all that convincing that he’s really taking it in stride, though.

“To be honest, of course I know that my defensive play has to be better and I think I improved that this year,” Larsson said. “But, at the same time, I don’t have the same confidence with the puck right now and that’s probably one of the reasons I focus more of the defense. But, like I and the coaches said, it’s a process and I’m still learning.”

You almost wonder if getting a little playing time in the AHL might do Larsson some good, but the Devils obviously have their own (historically successful) way of doing things.