Adam Larsson

Oilers Making Progress On A Contract For Adam Larsson

July 3, 2021 at 12:52 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Earlier this week, Edmonton ticked one big item off their to-do list with the re-signing of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an eight-year, $42MM contract. Now, their focus is set on re-upping pending UFA defenseman Adam Larsson and it appears that progress is being made on those discussions. Larsson’s agent J.P. Barry told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (subscription link) that there is an emphasis on the length of the deal but that talks are going well:

We’re making progress on a contract. Sometimes teams like to move quicker than players. He’s just thinking about everything. We’re getting there. There are a few things we can still discuss.

We’d like to get some term. He’s a pretty young free agent defenseman.

Barry is certainly correct in noting that Larsson is fairly young for a blueliner with the type of experience he has. He is only 28 but already has 10 years under his belt after making the jump to the NHL as an 18-year-old after New Jersey made him the fourth-overall pick back in 2011.

While Larsson has carved out a solid NHL career with over 600 NHL games under his belt, he’s also not the top-pairing defender the Devils hoped he’d be. However, he has turned into a capable stay-at-home player on the second pairing but this isn’t a great situation to be entering free agency with limited point totals and a flat salary cap. While Larsson improved on his numbers from a year ago, he still only managed 10 points in 56 regular season games this season. That will certainly restrict how expensive his next deal will be.

As it turns out, Larsson may actually be facing a small dip in pay after coming off a six-year, $25MM contract. Deals given to Joel Edmundson and Brenden Dillon last summer both checked in under the $4MM mark and serve as reasonable comparables to Larsson. Both landed four-year deals as well which makes Barry’s comment about term more notable as it seems unlikely Larsson would settle for something with fewer years than that.

Assuming they’re able to get something done – Nugent-Bowman suggests something could be done as soon as next week – that should all but close the door on Tyson Barrie returning. A new deal for Larsson would put him, Ethan Bear, and Evan Bouchard on the right side of the depth chart for Edmonton. At some point, they need to get Bouchard – the tenth-overall pick in 2018 – into the lineup and bringing both Larsson and Barrie back would make that difficult.

While many teams will want to wait to re-sign their pending unrestricted free agents for expansion purposes, Edmonton’s situation is cleaner than most teams. A re-signed Larsson would likely push Caleb Jones away from being protected but both he and William Lagesson (another projected exposed player) have had limited roles so far in their NHL careers. Losing one of them to Seattle would still put them in a better situation than a lot of teams. Accordingly, there’s no reason to delay finalizing a contract and ensuring that Larsson sticks around for the foreseeable future.

Negotiation Notes: Larsson, Andersen, Makar, Canucks

June 29, 2021 at 9:38 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

After locking up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to a long-term deal earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers will next turn their attention to reaching a new deal with defenseman Adam Larsson. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger in the latest edition of “Insider Trading“, that is more of a “when” than an “if” at the is point. Dreger states that the two sides are already close to a new deal and “in the final stretch” of negotiations. He expects that an extension will be reached soon. For Expansion Draft purposes, soon may not be until later next month, but a handshake agreement will do in the meantime. Larsson, 28, is one of the more stable defensemen in the NHL. If the defensive-minded right-shooter hit the open market, he would draw plenty of attention, but like Nugent-Hopkins, Larsson appears willing to settle on a deal to keep him in Edmonton with reigning Hart Trophy winners Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. So really, with RNH signed and Larsson not far behind, the Oilers may actually be focusing on external negotiations already, as Dreger notes they must add a goalie and complementary scoring forwards this summer.

It may come as a surprise following a career-worst season, but there is mutual interest in an extension between the Toronto Maple Leafs and goaltender Frederik Andersen. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that agent Claude Lemieux recently met with the Maple Leafs’ brass and both sides expressed interest in a new deal, perhaps to the surprise of both. Andersen is likely not keen to enter the open market after a down year (and really many years of slow decline) when he could instead stay in familiar territory in Toronto. The Leafs also need a netminder this off-season and may be content to stick with Andersen, despite his struggles, given the play of Jack Campbell this season. LeBrun does point out that Toronto has told Andersen’s camp that he would be sharing the net with Campbell, potentially even starting out at less than 50% of starts, but Andersen is reportedly open to that arrangement.
Every year there is the threat of offer sheets and every year it never happens, but LeBrun notes that rumblings around the league are that Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar could be the prime candidate this summer. With the Avalanche needing to extend the First Team All-Star as well as captain Gabriel Landeskog, starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer, and top-six forward Brandon Saad, all while saving room to extend superstar Nathan MacKinnon and replace several impending UFA’s next summer, cap space is tight in Denver. If another team swooped in with an offer that Makar couldn’t refuse, it might just be too much of a handicap for the Avs. Doubtful, but possible. Colorado can eliminate the risk of an offer sheet to their young phenom if they can lock Makar up before the market opens on July 28.
The Vancouver Canucks are already hard at work on extension for arguably their two most important players, defenseman Quinn Hughes and center Elias Pettersson. The pair of restricted free agents are centerpiece players for the Canucks and the team will whatever it takes to keep them around as long as possible. Dreger notes that GM Jim Benning and company are meeting again this week with agents from CAA Sports, who represent both young stars. A number of possibilities are on the table for both players, including a three-year bridge deal for Pettersson in the same vein as the recent contracts of Mathew Barzal and Brayden Point. However, it seems like long-term is the ideal goal. Pettersson is reportedly open to a long-term deal like that of Mikko Rantanen, while Hughes has explored contracts with terms between four and six years.

Snapshots: Larsson, McIsaac, Bergman

June 21, 2021 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

While the Edmonton Oilers have much bigger free-agent fish to fry, there seems to be some life in their contract negotiations with defender Adam Larsson. The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta reports that the Oilers and Larsson’s agent are to resume talks this week.

Larsson, of ’the trade is one-for-one’ fame, was an understated piece of the Oilers’ defense this season. After being plagued by injury in 2019-20, Larsson stepped up in a big way to help offset Edmonton’s loss of Oscar Klefbom. His 128 blocks this year were the same amount he had in a full 82-game season in 2018-19, while he ramped up his offensive production to four goals and 10 points. Talks about his extension first surfaced in May, where Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported a four-year deal was a likely outcome. It goes without saying that Edmonton would love to retain the 28-year-old Swede.

The Detroit Red Wings organization received some good news today, as defense prospect Jared McIsaac has a clean bill of health, per the team’s website. McIsaac, as the piece by Josh Berenter mentions, has been on the wrong end of three shoulder injuries in the past two calendar years. Drafted 36th overall by Detroit in 2018, he’s part of a prospect stable on defense that includes SHL standout Moritz Seider and Gustav Lindstrom. Before encountering his injury troubles, McIsaac had 62 points in just 53 games with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads in 2018-19. If he’s able to regain that form, a healthy McIsaac could prove to be a solid piece of Detroit’s rebuild.
Per a news release from the team’s website, SHL club Brynäs IF has signed former NHL prospect Julius Bergman. A 2014 second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Bergman was dealt three times over the course of his entry-level contract despite never playing an NHL game. Originally sent to the Ottawa Senators in the Mike Hoffman trade, he was then sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets along with Matt Duchene in February of 2019. He was dealt just three days later to the New York Rangers in exchange for Adam McQuaid. With Bergman’s offensive production declining sharply after his 30-point campaign with the San Jose Barracuda in 2016-17, it’s unlikely he sees NHL ice at any point during his career.

Edmonton Oilers Making Progress On Adam Larsson Extension

May 8, 2021 at 8:51 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

When the news came down in 2016 that Adam Larsson had been traded straight up for Taylor Hall, many mocked the Edmonton Oilers for the return they received from the New Jersey Devils. After all, Larsson had a career-high of 24 points in a season and didn’t seem like a true top-pairing option.

Part of the reason the Oilers targeted Larsson though, other than his handedness, was his contract. He had signed a six-year, $25MM deal with the Devils in 2015 that meant he would carry just a $4.16MM cap hit through this season. Hall was more expensive at $6MM per season and, now five years later, has played for four different teams.

The deal looks a little more even now that Larsson has established himself as the Oilers’ best shutdown defenseman and will look even better if they can manage to sign him to a reasonable extension. On Hockey Night In Canada this evening, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Oilers and Larsson have been in negotiations since before the trade deadline and have made good progress on an extension. Friedman expects the deal to come in around four years in length.

Larsson’s career-high is still 24 points, set in the 2014-15 season with New Jersey, but he has been a very important part of the Oilers this year. The 28-year-old trails only Josh Archibald for the team lead in hits, is far and away the team leader in blocked shots, and averages more than two minutes on Edmonton’s 11th-ranked penalty kill every night. He’s still not a true top-pairing, all-situations defenseman, but an extension makes sense for both sides.

The Oilers also have Tyson Barrie to think about this summer, but are saving some money on Kris Russell’s extension, which brings his cap hit from $4MM to just $1.25MM next season. With a deal for Larsson on the horizon, the team will have to spend carefully on the margins if they want to bring both Barrie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Oilers Notes: Larsson, Deadline, Klefbom, Russell

March 12, 2021 at 7:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the league trending towards more mobile defensemen and Edmonton needing to free up some salary this offseason, Adam Larsson seemed like a candidate to move on. The pending UFA has a $4.166MM, money that could be re-allocated to fill another area. However, Postmedia’s David Staples argues that the 28-year-old has played his way into earning another contract with the Oilers.

Of course, the question will be what price point works for both sides. Despite Larsson’s defensive efficiency, it’s hard to commit that type of money to a stay-at-home player. Something closer to $3MM would be more palatable from Edmonton’s side and would better reflect the current state of the market although if faced with the prospect of a pay cut, Larsson could justifiably want to see what his other options would be at that time. Staples posits that this isn’t a situation where re-signing Larsson could significantly alter their expansion planning either with young blueliners Caleb Jones and William Lagesson standing out as probable targets for Seattle.

Edmonton Oilers Linked To Theodor Lennstrom

April 25, 2020 at 12:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Veteran Swedish defenseman Theodor Lennstrom has informed Frolunda HC that he will not honor the final year of his contract and will not play in the SHL next season. The question now is where exactly he will play. Swedish source Kvalls Posten seems confident that the answer is the NHL, as they report that Lennstrom is choosing between a number of offers, but seems most likely to land with the Edmonton Oilers.

Lennstrom, 25, was undrafted out of Sweden and has never played anywhere else but his native country, but finally seems ready to take the next step in his career and sign an entry-level contract in the NHL. Lennstrom is an offensive defenseman, excelling in the skating and possession aspects of the game. His defensive game is likely not quite ready for the NHL though and he may need to start in the AHL upon arriving to North America or else play in a sheltered, power play-dependent role at first.

If he is to succeed at the top level, Edmonton seems like a strong choice. Kvalls Posten notes that team has two fellow Swedish defensemen in Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson, as well as a former teammate of Lennstrom’s in Joakim Nygard. On the other hand, the Oilers do have a decent amount of depth on the blue line and that position battle would become even more crowded if another Swede defender, top prospect Philip Broberg, also decided to jump to North America this off-season. There remain a number of other teams interested in Lennstrom as well, specifically the New Jersey Devils as a top suitor for his services, so his decision is far from made.

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

January 26, 2020 at 3:00 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

After two disastrous seasons, there was little hope that the Oilers might be able to compete for a playoff spot, especially considering the fact that new general manager Ken Holland didn’t make major changes to the team. They added James Neal and brought in a few overseas players in hopes of filling in the holes in their middle six, but instead, the Oilers have risen to the challenge under new head coach Dave Tippetts, holding the top spot in the division at several points in the season and still remain near the top of a competitive Pacific Division.

Record

26-18-5, tied (with three other teams) for second in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.851MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd*, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2021: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, PIT 6th, EDM 7th

*- Calgary will receive Edmonton’s third-round pick as part of the Neal/Lucic swap if Neal scores 21 or more goals and Lucic has at least ten goals less than him at the end of the season. Neal is currently at 19 so he will likely get to 21 while Lucic is at four goals.

Trade Chips

With a number of young defensemen already in Edmonton and several others not far off, the Oilers would love to unload a defenseman, preferably someone who has a big contract such as Adam Larsson or Kris Russell. Whether they can convince anyone to take either of those is a whole different question. The team does have a few other third-pairing options it could move, including William Lagesson and Keegan Lowe, but the team has made it clear that top prospects Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg are off the table in trade talks. Perhaps a team could pry away Dmitri Samorukov.

While the team many NHL options, Holland still has a full complement of draft picks, minus the team’s third-rounder, which is likely to change hands to Calgary. The team’s first-round pick could easily be in play for the right piece.

Five Players To Watch For: F Sam Gagner, D William Lagesson, D Adam Larsson, D Kris Russell, D William Lagesson, D Dmitri Samorukov

Team Needs

1) Scoring Help: The team still has holes in its top-nine. While the Oilers seem to have recently found some success on their second line with Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton still has holes on its first line and third line and could, without a doubt, use one more significant scoring piece at the trade deadline. While there was plenty of talk about acquiring Taylor Hall back in December, that was quite unrealistic considering their cap situation. However, there are a number of options that could interest them, including a third-line center on the market — Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He would fill a significant need on the third line or, if needed, could step into a top-six role on the wing. Another option would be adding Los Angeles’ Tyler Toffoli, whose name has been thrown around trade rumors quite a bit the last month or two. Toffoli might be a cheaper option, who could fill a top-nine role for the team and prove to be a better player than Alex Chiasson or Joakim Nygard.

2) Goaltending Depth: Yes, the team has Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith, but the 37-year-old Smith hasn’t been that consistent this season and often sees his second-half numbers decline. The team has already used Smith quite a bit this year (26 appearances) and could use a more impactful player that can be used in tandem with Koskinen. Smith currently has a 2.96 GAA and a .901 save percentage, numbers that could be replaced if they wanted to go out and acquire an Alexandar Georgiev or swap Smith for a more consistent option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Chiasson, Larsson

November 28, 2019 at 4:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers won’t have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for this weekend as he underwent a “procedure” on his hand. He is expected to be back at some point next week however, a relatively good outcome after needing surgery.

Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t played since a game against the Vegas Golden Knights last week, and still hasn’t taken quite the step everyone has been waiting for since he was selected first overall in 2011. Undoubtedly a valuable player, the 26-year old has just 16 points in 25 games this season (an 82-game pace of 52 points) after setting career highs a year ago.

The team will also be without Alex Chiasson indefinitely as he enters the concussion protocol. Chiasson was hit by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves last night and left the game. He too has been a disappointment this season after setting career highs a year ago, with only six points in 23 games so far in 2019-20.
Though there was some speculation circulating that Adam Larsson would have a hearing and potentially be suspended for his hit on T.J. Tynan, that is not the case. Larsson told reporters including Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal that he has not yet been told there will be a hearing and the Department of Player Safety has not announced one.

Edmonton Oilers Activate Adam Larsson

November 21, 2019 at 2:27 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers are playing like one of the best teams in the entire NHL, and today are getting back a huge part of their defense. Adam Larsson has been activated from injured reserve and will be back in the lineup tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Matt Benning is in the concussion protocol and will come out.

This will be just the second game of the season for Larsson after he suffered a broken fibula in the season opener.

Though he’ll always be seen in a different light because of the trade that brought him to Edmonton, Larsson is undoubtedly one of the most important players on the roster. The 27-year old defenseman has logged more than 21 minutes a night since joining the Oilers and looked like he may get even more responsibility under new head coach Dave Tippett.

The Oilers sit in first place in the Pacific Division after 23 games with a 14-6-3 record. Though it has been the offense driving the ship so far, an improved defense could make them even more dangerous in the Western Conference playoff race.

Oilers Notes: Larsson, Puljujarvi, Bear, Bouchard

November 17, 2019 at 4:33 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers look to be getting back a key player as defenseman Adam Larsson is expected to be close to a return, likely in the middle of the week. The Edmonton Sun’s Kurt Leavins reports that the team will likely make some roster moves either Wednesday or Thursday for a potential return against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

The scribe writes the team will have to make a corresponding move when they activate Larsson, who has been out since the first game of the season with a broken leg. The likely candidates to be sent to Bakersfield of the AHL would be either Caleb Jones or Joel Persson, with Persson being the more likely candidate. The 25-year-old, who signed out of the SHL, could use some time in the AHL to allow the game to slow down for him. He has only appeared in 10 games for the Oilers so far.

Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson relays that while the Oilers have been rumored to be considering a potential swap of Jesse Puljujarvi for the New York Rangers’ Lias Andersson, he wonders if that potential trade makes much sense. The scribe writes that the scouting book on the Swedish center is that he is a bottom-line forward who lacks pace to his game. While Puljujarvi hasn’t fared well so far in the NHL, there is still belief that he has the potential to be a top-six option still.
In a separate tweet, Matheson writes that there aren’t many comparables for Ethan Bear, who will be hitting restricted free agency this summer. Bear, has looked good this year in his first full season with the Oilers, posting three goals and seven points in 22 games. He writes the best comparables are Neal Pionk’s $3MM deal with Winnipeg or Ryan Pulock’s $2MM deal with the New York Islanders.
The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) names his top Edmonton Oilers’ prospect in his winter evaluation, naming defenseman Evan Bouchard for a second straight year. Bouchard is the first player to repeat as the team’s top prospect in more than a dozen years. The 20-year-old blueliner scored 16 goals and 43 points with the OHL’s London Knights last season and has continued to play well as a professional this year with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL where he has three goals and nine points in 10 games.

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