The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million per year, according to Elliotte Friedman.
Ekman-Larsson had a resurgence with the Florida Panthers en route to becoming a Stanley Cup champion. He began to show signs of the underrated game he displayed while a member of the Arizona Coyotes.
What Ekman-Larsson Brings to the Table
Ekman-Larsson’s career seemed to be at a turning point when he signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the Panthers last summer. He had been bought out of the final season of his contract by the Vancouver Canucks and it seemed like his career was in the sewer.
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But then a resurgence happened. Granted, he wasn’t brought in to play top-four minutes as he was in Arizona and Vancouver, but Ekman-Larsson flourished as a bottom-pairing defender. At just over 18 minutes per night, he had the most points (32) since 2018-19, when he had 44.
More importantly, he seemed to resolve his defensive woes, the ones that saw him consistently in the minus category (he was minus-24 in his second and final season in Vancouver). He became a dependable option for the Panthers, continuing his solid play on the run to the Cup.
How Ekman-Larsson Fits with the Maple Leafs
Given his deal, it is clear that Ekman-Larsson is being brought in to play a similar role. He should get in the neighborhood of 18-19 minutes per night and will be expected to provide solid, if unspectacular, defensive play.
More importantly for the Maple Leafs, he is a veteran who has won a Cup. He can show the others what it takes to win a championship and still has the physical tools to be a contributor on the back end.
If the Maple Leafs can get 30 points out of him again while playing close to 20 minutes per night, this will be a fantastic signing. The Maple Leafs realize that they need to get better defensively and this signing is a step in that direction.
