Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] D Oliver Ekman-Larsson signs with the Maple Leafs (4 years, $3.5M AAV)

[shaner8989]

Small sample size but he’s been amazing. 3.5 is an absolute steal.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Really good signing. He hit a home run here and the stolarz and tanev ones to

While I tend to agree this reeks of famous last words

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I've always found it interesting how Vancouver fans raked both Ekman-Larsson and Juolevi over the coals for their skating. I didn't notice it as a problem for either at all. And sounds like it isn't an issue for OEL in Toronto now at age 33.

If that was considered an issue in Vancouver that's just not true.

 

[Coffee]

He's playing the best hockey of his career under Berube

 

[Heldig]

He's playing the best hockey of his career under Berube

Doubt he is playing better than his first few years in Phoenix.

Happy he is playing well again.

 

[Raistlin]

If that was considered an issue in Vancouver that's just not true.

his issue in Vancouver was decision making and inconsistent effort. Once he gave up under the media scrutiny, then his "try" sagged and skating fell apart.

 

[Legion34]

If that was considered an issue in Vancouver that's just not true.

Take it for what it’s worth but Frankie corrado. Said he was playing through a major injury in van and he needed some Intensive specialist (he names him) to fix him on the leafs report this week. Apparently he was playing pretty hurt and recovered

 

[HabzSauce]

He's a beast back there. Will be fun In playoffs

 

[banks]

I always loved OEL in Arizona, and didn't understand why things went so bad in Van. Even as much hate as he got, rightly or wrongly, I was still a fan.

Glad he's with Toronto now, as he's been a difference maker in the it games so far. He pushes the game forward.

 

[Puckstuff]

Doubt he is playing better than when the first few years in Phoenix.

Happy he is playing well again.

I’m not sure but he looks really good on both ends. Josi just had one of his best seasons at 33 so it’s not inconceivable OEL could get back to form at 33. Maybe he’s not an elite #1 like he was in Zona but he looks pretty damn close to it. I thought this was going to be a potential Klingberg 2.0 situation but it’s the exact opposite.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

His first year in Vancouver he was good. He then broke his foot in the world championships & played on it the following season, and was very bad.

Given the contract the seasons get lumped together but his time here wasn't all bad.

He looks to be fitting like a glove in Toronto. Good for him

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

He's still a good dman, having him play in a tight system like under Maurice and Berube helps him.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

I always loved OEL in Arizona, and didn't understand why things went so bad in Van. Even as much hate as he got, rightly or wrongly, I was still a fan.

Glad he's with Toronto now, as he's been a difference maker in the it games so far. He pushes the game forward.

Just a horrible fit in Vancouver. He just never clicked with anyone, and our coaching staff was a mess.

He was also not going to get PP time with Hughes here, and he was horrible playing the right side. In Toronto he's back to getting powerplay time, and he's a good fit there. The fit with OEL didn't make sense from the beginning and most Vancouver fans acknowledge that. We are honestly happy he's doing well.

 

[HockeyVirus]

His first year in Vancouver he was good. He then broke his foot in the world championships & played on it the following season, and was very bad.

Given the contract the seasons get lumped together but his time here wasn't all bad.

He looks to be fitting like a glove in Toronto. Good for him

Yeah that is how it goes a lot of the time sadly. Fans remember the player who left but not the entire player's time there. I very much doubt he is playing this way for the entirety of his contract, but if he can give us 1-2 years and play that way in the playoffs for us... Well that is very helpful for the Leafs to get a real top 4 dman for nothing

 

[The Nuge]

He's playing the best hockey of his career under Berube

No he’s not. Like not even remotely close. He legitimately was a top 10 dman in the NHL at one point, and absolutely carried the Coyotes

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

Never thought I would see this OEL again, always liked the dude. Good for him and the Leafs.

 

[Laus723]

He's playing the best hockey of his career under Berube

I mean, I’m glad he’s playing well, but he played well for us last year as well. and as was said, he was an elite player with the Yotes.

 

[Vector]

I've always found it interesting how Vancouver fans raked both Ekman-Larsson and Juolevi over the coals for their skating. I didn't notice it as a problem for either at all. And sounds like it isn't an issue for OEL in Toronto now at age 33.

If that was considered an issue in Vancouver that's just not true.

As has already been said but he played his second season with the Canucks on a broken foot and was eventually out for the season due to surgery. Prior to that, he couldn’t pivot and had the worst retrievals on the team. He’s now two years removed and looking similar to his first season in Vancouver, when he was quite good.

 

[strattonius]

He was also relied upon to being the #1 do it all d-man in Vancouver when clearly that part of his career was over. The Vancover organization when OEL arrived was a tragic, rotten place where players came to fizzle out. No structure, bad coaching, horrible management and likely a bad lockeroom. The buy out was absolutely necessary when Alvin came in and cleaned it all up. You could see there was a good player there deep down.

This is definitely a pro scouting win by Toronto. Lots of people laughed and thought it was a massive overpay but when OEL is in a structured and insulated environment he flourishes. A good coach like Berube is an excellent fit for OEL.

 

[74 others]

No he’s not. Like not even remotely close. He legitimately was a top 10 dman in the NHL at one point, and absolutely carried the Coyotes

Dvorak too as their first line center

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

At 3.5 AAV, even with the years, it just never seemed like an overly risky deal given the level he has shown he is capable of playing.

As a Bruins fan, I hope he can step into the Jake Gardiner role for the Leafs defenseman who always blows it at the biggest moment. Until then, Godspeed.

 

[biturbo19]

As has already been said but he played his second season with the Canucks on a broken foot and was eventually out for the season due to surgery. Prior to that, he couldn’t pivot and had the worst retrievals on the team. He’s now two years removed and looking similar to his first season in Vancouver, when he was quite good.

Yeah. A lot of the Vancouver hate was missing context, and generally speaking...actually about something else entirely. More about the symbolism of OEL being linked to Jim Benning, the cap hit he was on and falling short of those expectations some people set up...and more than anything, that injury just really nuked his mobility. Prior to the injury, he had been playing just fine...in really demanding minutes, with kind of garbage partners and terrible directionless coaching.

The foot injury was just the straw that completely broke the camels back. When it sapped all his mobility, he just started to drown in the whole thing...and i think with that, he started to fall apart mentally under the expectations he was clearly unable to live up to at that point. The injury clearly also took a while to get back to reasonable health, but he looks like he's there now. And not crushed under the weight of inflated expectations because of a huge cap number.

He played like a reasonable $5M defenceman in his first year in Vancouver. I don't think it's surprising that even now at $3.5M, he looks the part now that he's healthy again and only has to live up to that sort of expectation.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

Yeah. A lot of the Vancouver hate was missing context, and generally speaking...actually about something else entirely. More about the symbolism of OEL being linked to Jim Benning, the cap hit he was on and falling short of those expectations some people set up...and more than anything, that injury just really nuked his mobility. Prior to the injury, he had been playing just fine...in really demanding minutes, with kind of garbage partners and terrible directionless coaching.

The foot injury was just the straw that completely broke the camels back. When it sapped all his mobility, he just started to drown in the whole thing...and i think with that, he started to fall apart mentally under the expectations he was clearly unable to live up to at that point. The injury clearly also took a while to get back to reasonable health, but he looks like he's there now. And not crushed under the weight of inflated expectations because of a huge cap number.

He played like a reasonable $5M defenceman in his first year in Vancouver. I don't think it's surprising that even now at $3.5M, he looks the part now that he's healthy again and only has to live up to that sort of expectation.

All this plus Benning once again throwing away high picks (9OA in 21, 2nd rounder in 22) for a declining player with what was viewed as probably the worst contract in the NHL and who was also kinda redundant with Hughes getting the top line and PP minutes.
There was also fan anger due to Benning f*cking around the previous summer trying to trade for OEL then “running out of time” to re-sign long term Canuck Chris Tanev which completely gutted our D-corps the following year and led to another lost season after the ray of hope of the bubble playoffs.
OEL’s time in Van was kinda doomed from the start and when he struggled mightily in his second year playing on a bad foot, it was a move that needed to be made.