Another off-season, another attempt by the Arizona Coyotes and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to scour the trade market for a potential fit. The two sides worked together last year to find a new home for Ekman-Larsson, but to no avail. The veteran defenseman offered only two possible destinations – the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks – that he would waive his No-Movement Clause for and neither team made a suitable offer. As a result, Ekman-Larsson played for the ’Yotes again this season. One year later and one year further into his eight-year, $66MM contract, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that they will again try to find a suitable trade fit this off-season.
Per Friedman, the approach this summer will be different. Rather than Ekman-Larsson telling Arizona where he would be willing to go, GM Bill Armstrong will gauge the market and bring offers from any interested teams back to OEL to see if he is also interested. This doesn’t necessarily mean that their odds of finding a deal will improve, especially if Ekman-Larsson remains narrowly focused on just a few possible destinations, but it will allow for the Coyotes to better understand his market value so as to potentially work with those teams that he would go to. Boston and Vancouver for instance are both still in need of a top-four defenseman.
Market value could be the key here as the ’Yotes very likely think more highly of Ekman-Larsson’s worth than do other teams around the league. They are after all the ones who signed him to his current albatross of a contract, which still has six years left at an $8.25MM AAV. OEL also did little to improve his trade stock this season; while his offense recovered to his career average, his time on ice per game fell to a new low since his rookie season and his per-game shots, blocks, and hits were all below his career average. Any deal would almost certainly have to include salary retention by the Coyotes, but the return may also be less than what they might have expected and wanted. With that said, Ekman-Larsson is still on the right side of 30 (for another month) and has a strong track record in the NHL, so there could very well be teams that still see the upside in adding the accomplished veteran to their blue line.
Edmonton is the perfect fit. They get rid of Neal and Koskinen and send the Yotes a young defenseman to finalize the deal. Could also expand the deal with Kuemper for #1 and a young winger.
Edmonton has a surplus of defencemen already. And I doubt OEL waives his no trade for Edmonton.
Send him back to Tippett to find his glory days.
just rip the bandaid off. OEL for Risto. kill to trade birds with one stone.
I’m sure OEL would be happy to waive his NMC to go to the dumpster fire that is Buffalo.
Bet he’d say no based on the weather alone.
Man that’s a bad contract
They can call Detroit and give them two first round picks to take the salary.
Yotes will have to give him away. ARI is like the Pittsburgh Pirates in that no one will ever offer them a good trade return, because they know getting rid of the money is what the teams wants most.
Also, OEL is not very good. He is a middle pairing defenseman at this point.
Overpaid and overrated. Nobody is taking that contract unless AZ eats up some of it
Yeah, there’s a REASON the Bruins didn’t bite. Overrated and overpaid is about right. Why smash the payroll to bits AND give up a large package for a guy whose production and TOI are both slumping hard, just so he can be your #3 defenseman?
OEL to Kings and Arizona retains 3 mil. per season. Arizona gets Maata , Lizotte and a 3rd rounder.