It was revealed by TSN’s Darren Dreger that the Arizona Coyotes star defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has narrowed down where he would accept a trade.
Ready for the #NHL silly season?@DarrenDreger has the latest on the #Yotes, #NHLBruins, #Canucks & OEL on @7ElevenCanada #ThatsHockey, top of the hour on #TSN, the TSN App & TSN Direct…#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/K8YYA0wYEj
— Gino Reda (@GinoRedaTSN) October 1, 2020
Oliver Ekman-Larsson Will Accept a Trade to These Two Teams
With all the speculation that has been going on for quite some time now, we finally know where OEL will head to if he is traded. He has a no-trade clause on his eight-year $8.25M AAV contract which has seven years remaining on it. It seemed like most of the current rumours had him heading to the Edmonton Oilers. Now, things have changed, and OEL has selected the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins.
So, now it seems imminent that he WILL be traded. It’s just a matter of where and what the return will be for the Desert Dogs. We, of course, can put ourselves in his spot about going to either team. Let’s face it, the Canucks are an up-and-coming, young, and vibrant team. Vancouver is certainly not a bad place to live. If Oliver Ekman-Larsson wants to move on from all the drama and disarray of playing for the Coyotes his entire career, Vancouver would not be a bad alternative.
The Bruins are on the cusp of winning a Stanley Cup and have come very close to getting there. Obviously, the Coyotes have issues. Money issues. Large contracts left to determine how to manage them. Loss of draft picks… you get the picture. Poor Bill Armstrong took over a mess left by former general manager John Chayka and he knew. He has explained that he likes a challenge… well he’s got one in Arizona, Bill. The Bruins need a left defenceman since it appears that Torey Krug will be seeking a new employer in free agency.
Exploring The Vancouver Trade Possibility
There’s been a shaky relationship between Cancuks GM Jim Benning and star forward Brock Boeser. Many reports surfaced earlier in the year suggesting that Boeser was nearly-guaranteed to be traded. Benning shot these down quickly and has said he has no plan to move Boeser but the skepticism remains. Especially now that trade talks over OEL have started. Perhaps Benning (well… drop the perhaps) wants to rid himself of Loui Eriksson‘s $6 million for the next two seasons. Packaging the two — Boeser and Eriksson — together might create an enticing package. While Boeser is higher in value than OEL, the overpayment is made up for by Arizona taking on Eriksson’s deal, surely. Boeser would add the sorely needed offence the Yotes lack. He has tallied 75 goals and 86 assists in 197 games. Eriksson isn’t an offensive weapon at all and has nixed trades in the past, so the Coyotes may not be on his list of teams he’d accept.
There’s no doubt that OEL can help the Canucks. He can surely help mentor young Quinn Hughes. Boeser can also significantly help the Coyotes score more goals. And Eriksson can do whatever he does. This trade possibility may or may not go down.
Exploring The Boston Trade Possibility
The Bruins will likely lose talented defenceman Torey Krug since he has pretty well decided to test free agency. OEL can fill that vacancy on the left side of the blueline. Zdeno Chara at 43 may hang up his skates and the Bruins need some assurance that their defence won’t be depleted. The Coyotes could be interested in Jake Debrusk who is coming off of his entry-level contract and is a restricted free agent. The soon to be 24-year-old forward could add some additional youth to the Coyotes lineup and is a tough player to face. He’s had 62 goals and 58 assists in 203 NHL games.
In The End, It’s OEL’s Decision
Oliver Ekman-Larsson will need to decide which team he wants to join. The big question is will the Coyotes get back something of value in a trade? The Coyotes’ ownership objective to lower their financial obligation will take some precedence. Because it has been well known that the franchise wants to cut payroll and they have some large contracts, that may decrease what they can expect in return. Their bargaining power will be lower. A player of OEL’s talent and experience will be a good addition to either team, so now it’s decision time for him.
On a sad note, the many fans of OEL will not be happy that he is about to be traded. Perhaps the captain thing was too much for him to handle. Perhaps he and head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t see eye-to-eye on what was expected of OEL. It seems that Tocchet wanted OEL to be more aggressive in the locker room and he just isn’t that type of ‘in your face’ kinda guy. He will be better served to be on a team where he can use his skills more effectively. It just seems he wasn’t doing it anymore in Arizona. Wherever he lands, they will be adding a talented defenceman and a good teammate.
Still, it’s sad to see him go.
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