- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,560
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Why Maple Leafs didn’t trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson before NHL deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had tons of names involved in trade rumors in the days and weeks leading up to Friday’s deadline.
One of them was Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In the end, he didn’t go anywhere.
It’s not totally surprising on the one hand, because OEL is still under contract beyond this season. There was no immediate pressure on the Leafs to trade him.
At the same time, he was so heavily involved in rumors that it’s surprising he didn’t go anywhere.
MORE: Avalanche traded away, traded for defensemen born on exact same day
Why didn’t the Maple Leafs trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
Simply put, it sounds like the Leafs had too high an asking price.
Multiple reports indicated they wanted a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a prospect for OEL.
He’s a solid defenseman, but at 34 years old, he must not have felt like he was worth that to another team.
The Maple Leafs likely felt comfortable digging in on this, because they have Ekman-Larsson for next year, too. If they didn’t get the price they wanted, they could just run it back with OEL.
They obviously want to bounce back next season, and so keeping Ekman-Larsson around could help them do that. He’s got the right mentality and game to be a key player for a good team.
Just two seasons ago, Ekman-Larsson won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.
Now, the Leafs will hope he can get the job done with them. It just won’t be this year.
More NHL news:
- Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center
- A salary cap rule may make 2 Flames trades difficult
- Canadiens know trade cost for Robert Thomas
- Auston Matthews looks to help Leafs tank with this lame effort
- Capitals stun NHL with John Carlson trade
- Colton Parayko rejects Sabres in huge trade decision
Continue reading...
