ESPN NHL

Insider is beginning a regular series that will identify some of the top prospects in the 2011 NHL draft and look at what makes them of such great interest to scouts and coaches. This is the first entry, which is on possible No. 1 overall pick Adam Larsson.

There's no question about the identity of the best defenseman eligible for the 2011 draft: Adam Larsson of Skelleftea in the Swedish elite league (read more about him here). He more or less wrapped that up when he was named the best defenseman at the 2010 world under-18s in Belarus in April, a tournament where he soundly outplayed Erik Gudbranson, the Canadian who wound up selected No. 3 overall by the Florida Panthers in this year's draft.

A lot of scouts believe Larsson, a late-1992 birthday, would have been the first blueliner selected in the 2010 draft if he'd been eligible.

There are really only two remaining questions on Larsson: first, will he be No. 1 overall in the 2011 draft? Then, once he is selected, how soon until he begins playing at the pro level?

For the full profile of Adam Larsson and to get the skinny on the probable No. 1 pick in 2011 before the rest of the world, you need to be an ESPN Insider.