From Stanley Cup parade to Toronto, Oliver Ekman-Larsson joins ...
Former star had nice bounce back season for Panthers
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Published Jul 01, 2024 • 1 minute read
The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup in 57 years, but just added a defenceman and and goaltender who are likely still hung over from Sunday’s Florida Panthers victory parade.
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The bigger prize is Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the 32-year-old former first round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes, who joiined Chris Tanev on a new-look Leaf blueline just seconds after NHL free agent shopping got underway at noon Eastern time.
OEL as he’s nicknamed, got a big piece of general manager Brad Treliving’s shrinking salary pie, four years at $3.5 million U.S. After years of playoff obscurity, Ekman-Larson played 80 games in regular season for the Panthers, then 22 in playoffs, adding six points. At 6-foot-2, he adds to Treliving’s bulkier defence. Treliving and his special advisor, long-time Coyotes captain Shane Doan, are very familiar with Ekman-Larson, who spent years in Arizona while both were there as well.
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The Maple Leafs also signed 6-foot-6 Anthony Stolarz, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky and was in one Cup final game, at a cost of two years, totalling $5 million.
Ekman-Larsson will play in his 1,000th regular season NHL game this autumn. After appearing in just nine playoff games before this spring with Arizona and Vancouver, the Leafs hope he’s just whetted his appetite. With Tanev expected to pair with Morgan Rielly, the left shooting Ekman-Larsson could partner the right-shot Timothy Liljegren after his countryman re-signed with the Leafs this weekend. Or he could be used with Jake McCabe, who can play on either side.
Ekman-Larsson was taken sixth in the ‘09 draft, one pick ahead of Toronto which selected Nazem Kadri. He has two golds for Sweden at the world championships and an Olympic silver from 2014.
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