Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (4 years, $3.5M AAV)

[banks]

I low-key followed Arizona for a long time, and I always like OEL. Even when he got to VAN and everyone suddenly hated him, I felt like he was getting the short end of the stick. I wanted him last year after his buy out, and I'm thrilled he's here now.

This guy will have no problem living up to his contract, and could fill in higher on the depth chart when pressed without the slightest hesitation.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

Only two games but he definitely looks like a 2nd pairing guy for us. Looks good alongside McCabe. What I didn’t expect was how strong he is on his skates. Guys try to hit him and he barely moves. Should provide that complementary offense we weren’t getting from our D last year.

This is how I know Nylander is a beast. A few years ago OEL tried to move Nylander and Nylander barely moved. I was like, wait, it's usually the other way around for OEL.

Anyway, back to on topic.

 

[thewave]

This is how I know Nylander is a beast. A few years ago OEL tried to move Nylander and Nylander barely moved. I was like, wait, it's usually the other way around for OEL.

Anyway, back to on topic.

Powerful legs like Crosby.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Marleau scored 27 his first season. That's a good start no?

Good start offensively but I judge the guy on the effect he had on Marner’s attitude right from the beginning

 

[DarkKnight]

The guy played 15 minutes a night on the best defensive team in hockey last year.

He's been a great add and no it isn't too early to say, he's played a 1000 games for a reason. Nice work Tre. This looks the best D core of this era.

 

[Dekes For Days]

His breakdown last year was
380 minutes top pair with Forsling
109 Minutes mid pair with Montour
460 Bottom pair with Kulikov.

But that's not really true. Not all of his time with Forsling, for example, was in a top pairing role. He only really played top pairing for 16 games at the beginning of the season when both Ekblad and Montour were out, and before Mikkola had established themselves on the team. He also spent time on the bottom pairing with players other than just Kulikov.

It's good that he was able to hold his own in a top pairing role with a strong partner for a dozen or so games, but it doesn't mean a whole lot. We've had a number of lesser players do similar over the years, and it never changed what they were.

 

[DarkKnight]

Imagine 17 months later still carrying water for a former GM ffs. What a colossal sad gig. Unreal. Especially since all we did was fail to deliver.

 

[4thline]

But that's not really true. Not all of his time with Forsling, for example, was in a top pairing role. He only really played top pairing for 16 games at the beginning of the season when both Ekblad and Montour were out, and before Mikkola had established themselves on the team. He also spent time on the bottom pairing with players other than just Kulikov.

It's good that he was able to hold his own in a top pairing role with a strong partner for a dozen or so games, but it doesn't mean a whole lot. We've had a number of lesser players do similar over the years, and it never changed what they were.

His competition profile was exactly that of a midpair defenseman over the course of the season- balance between all levels. A third of his 5v5 minutes against elite level comp.

We havent had a number of former all star 1d level defenders do it as a part of an upswing/ potential partial return to form after a season destroyed by injury.

 

[JEI]

He's surprised me so far. Hopefully can keep it up. Looks to be a great middle pairing option at the moment.

 

[4thline]

The guy played 15 minutes a night on the best defensive team in hockey last year.

He's been a great add and no it isn't too early to say, he's played a 1000 games for a reason. Nice work Tre. This looks the best D core of this era.

Certainly up there- on paper I'd put it even with the 1 year we had healthy ish Muzzin and Brodie.


Tre had a much much better 2nd offseason on paper

 

[Commander Clueless]

I was pretty down on this signing.

Only two games in but so far I'm impressed. Hopefully I was dead wrong.


I think we need one more top 4 guy sometime this season, preferably a righty to replace Liljegren. Or maybe Liljegren himself can become that.

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-???
Benoit-McCabe
Hakanpaa

Would have me pretty confident going in to the postseason.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Not sure why so many fans are surprised. He was a very highly touted prospect that has had some good years in the NHL but struggled with inconsistency and injuries at times. We signed him coming off of one of his best seasons as a pro after playing a key role on a Stanley Cup winning team and he is still in the prime of his career.

I was optimistic when Tre signed him and he has played as advertised in my opinion.

 

[Evilhomer]

He will likely spend time on PP1 as the season progresses. I expect that he will end up being the second best acquisition of the off-season after Tanev.

 

[ULF_55]

But that's not really true. Not all of his time with Forsling, for example, was in a top pairing role. He only really played top pairing for 16 games at the beginning of the season when both Ekblad and Montour were out, and before Mikkola had established themselves on the team. He also spent time on the bottom pairing with players other than just Kulikov.

It's good that he was able to hold his own in a top pairing role with a strong partner for a dozen or so games, but it doesn't mean a whole lot. We've had a number of lesser players do similar over the years, and it never changed what they were.

Leafs have not had a defender do that on a Cup winning team since since expansion.

Just wanted to add a timeline to your statement.

 

[DarkKnight]

Certainly up there- on paper I'd put it even with the 1 year we had healthy ish Muzzin and Brodie.


Tre had a much much better 2nd offseason on paper

The trick I think is don’t over play him. 16-18 feels right on this D core.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

I like OEL’s play style a lot more than Rielly’s. More physical and not scared to shoot the damn puck.

I think it’s inevitable that he’ll overtake PP1. Marner & Rielly means that 2/5 players on our PP have muffins and refuse to shoot.

 

[BM14]

Not sure why so many fans are surprised. He was a very highly touted prospect that has had some good years in the NHL but struggled with inconsistency and injuries at times. We signed him coming off of one of his best seasons as a pro after playing a key role on a Stanley Cup winning team and he is still in the prime of his career.

I was optimistic when Tre signed him and he has played as advertised in my opinion.

“Good years” is underselling his previous accomplishments quite a bit. He was routinely “the best player you don’t watch” for a few years because he was stuck in the desert.

His injuries have taken a toll on him and his ability, but he’s still a smart player who should be playing PP1.

 

[Sypher04]

“Good years” is underselling his previous accomplishments quite a bit. He was routinely “the best player you don’t watch” for a few years because he was stuck in the desert.

His injuries have taken a toll on him and his ability, but he’s still a smart player who should be playing PP1.

He was also pretty misused in Vancouver. They forced into the top pair, on his offside, on a weak D and then wondered when he didn’t perform well. And that’s ignoring all the injuries.

 

[sunstersun]

Get him on the PP1.

Add Knies to the PP1. Put Nylander on the left side. Matthews on the right side.

Stop this awful drop pass wasting 20 seconds per powerplay nonsense.

 

[HellasLEAF]

He looks like a solid steady pro out there. Exactly what we need. Good in all areas. This was an important signing from Tre.

 

[nuck]

This is how I know Nylander is a beast. A few years ago OEL tried to move Nylander and Nylander barely moved. I was like, wait, it's usually the other way around for OEL.

Anyway, back to on topic.

Thats cause OEL was trying to move him into a corner and the boy don't go there

 

[Pinto]

Wanted him when he signed with Florida. Like that we got him this year but was nervous about the $$$. Looks great so far.

 

[TMLAM34]

Get him on the PP1.

Add Knies to the PP1. Put Nylander on the left side. Matthews on the right side.

Stop this awful drop pass wasting 20 seconds per powerplay nonsense.

Replacing Rielly with OEL and then Marner with either Knies or Domi would be great. It also greats some internal competition between PP1 and PP2, something we need IMO.

 

[Stephen]

He was better than Rielly in his prime. He was overpaid in the canucks market and didn’t do well on offense for them but they liked his defense and willingness to get involved.

As a panther he was a top pair for half the season and was the no 1 ppqb in the finals.

I know he’s not a no 1 D man now , but hopefully a good 2nd pair/pp2.

He looks great. Probably need to manage his minutes but considering all the 8 million salaries now 3.5 is fine.

Lilly as a scratch is unforgivable. 3 million on the bench and you couldn’t find enough for Roy?

Boudreau was on one of the Leaf podcasts this summer and basically said he was utilized in a RD role on the Canucks and struggled defensively because he could be beat on the outside whereas when he’s on his LD he can use his long stick and break things up. Makes sense to me.

 

[Stephen]

Wanted him when he signed with Florida. Like that we got him this year but was nervous about the $$$. Looks great so far.

Yeah a one year deal for OEL last year would have been dynamite value vs Klingberg.