Panthers' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Secures one-year deal
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Ekman-Larsson agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.25 million contract with Florida on Saturday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Ekman-Larsson will be making significantly less than the $8.25 million he was expected to earn before the Cancuks bought out his contract. If the veteran blueliner can earn a spot with one of the power-play units, he could get back over the 30-point mark for the first time since 2019-20 when he was with Arizona. For fantasy players, Ekman-Larsson figures to be a high-risk, high-reward option given the uncertainty of which version of him you will be getting.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Bought out of contract
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The Canucks bought out the last four years of Ekman-Larsson's eight-year contract Friday.
Ekman-Larsson had $29 million remaining on his eight-year contract. The Canucks and Coyotes -- who retained 12 percent of his salary when he was dealt to Vancouver two years ago -- will keep Ekman-Larsson's salary on the books for eight years, but Vancouver will get cap relief this season to the tune of $7.1 million. Ekman-Larsson was a fantasy asset five seasons ago, but he has fallen upon hard times of late, scoring only twice with 20 assists in 54 games in 2022-23. He missed the final 27 games of the regular season with an ankle injury, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Off injured reserve
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Ekman-Larsson (ankle) was activated from injured reserve Tuesday, per CapFriendly.
Ekman-Larsson missed the last 27 games of the Canucks' season, ending the campaign with 22 points in 54 outings, his lowest output since his rookie year. The 31-year-old defenseman should be considered healthy heading into training camp for 2023-24, though his $7.26 million cap hit could make it difficult for the Canucks to bolster a blue line that looked outmatched throughout the year.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Likely done for season
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Ekman-Larsson (ankle) isn't expected to play again this season, coach Rick Tocchet told Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province.
Ekman-Larsson, who hasn't played since Feb. 15 due to the injury, is set to finish the season with two goals, 22 points, 58 hits and 43 blocks in 54 appearances. From 2013-14 through 2018-19, he reached the 40-point milestone five times over the span of six campaigns, but he's failed to record more than 30 points in any of his last four seasons. Tocchet is optimistic about the 31-year-old defenseman bouncing back in 2022-23 though.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Placed on IR
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Ekman-Larsson (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Ekman-Larsson was already ruled out on a week-to-week basis with a sprained ankle, so this move frees up a roster spot for the Canucks. The 31-year-old defenseman has 22 points and a minus-24 rating through 54 contests this season, but he's also averaged 20:11 of ice time per game, leaving a big gap in the Vancouver lineup, which is likely to be partially filled by Christian Wolanin.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Out week-to-week
Rotowire
Ekman-Larsson will be out for weeks with a sprained ankle, according to coach Rick Tocchet, Harman Dayal of The Athletic reports.
Ekman-Larsson was injured Wednesday in the opening period versus the Rangers, and did not return. Ekman-Larsson has two goals and 22 points in 54 games this season.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Doubtful Saturday
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Per Randip Janda of Sportsnet, Ekman-Larsson (lower body) is doubtful for Saturday's tilt versus Philadelphia, according to coach Rick Tocchet.
Ekman-Larsson only played 4:46 Wednesday, before leaving in the first period against the Rangers. Ekman-Larsson has two goals and 22 points in 54 games this season. Look for Travis Dermott or Kyle Burroughs to take his place on the Vancouver blue line.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Exits Wednesday's game
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Ekman-Larsson (lower body) won't return to Wednesday's game versus the Rangers.
Ekman-Larsson was hurt in a board battle in the first period. If the defenseman misses additional time, Kyle Burroughs or Travis Dermott could take his place in the lineup.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Finds twine Thursday
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Ekman-Larsson scored a goal in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Islanders.
Ekman-Larsson got the Canucks on the board at 11:44 of the first period, just 39 seconds after Kyle Palmieri opened the scoring for the Islanders. This was Ekman-Larsson's first goal since Nov. 8, and it was his second goal of the season. The defenseman has had a bit of a tumultuous year, which even saw him scratched once in January. He's at 22 points, 89 shots on net, 57 hits, 41 blocked shots and a minus-19 rating through 51 outings.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Ends eight-game scoring drought
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Ekman-Larsson registered two assists in Vancouver's 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey on Monday.
Ekman-Larsson has a goal and 21 points in 49 games this season. He was scoreless in his previous eight contests. Even after that recent offensive slump, Ekman-Larsson's overall scoring pace an improvement on 2021-22 when he finished with 29 points in 79 contests.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Healthy scratched
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Ekman-Larsson was a healthy scratch during Thursday's loss to the Lightning.
Ekman-Larsson has been relied upon heavily by the Canucks this season, averaging 20:28 of ice time per game. Through 40 contests he has 19 points, but holds a minus-14 rating. He likely won't watch many more games from the press box, but it's worth monitoring his status ahead of Saturday's contest.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Plucks pair of apples
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Ekman-Larsson notched two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Avalanche.
Ekman-Larsson helped out on the first and last of the Canucks' goals, with the former coming on the power play. The 31-year-old defenseman's previous multi-point effort was Dec. 7, and he picked up three helpers over 10 contests in between. The Swede is up to 18 points (four on the power play), 63 shots on net, 51 hits, 27 blocked shots and a minus-9 rating through 38 outings.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Collects helper Tuesday
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Ekman-Larsson posted an assist in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Islanders.
Ekman-Larsson has been limited to three assists over his last nine games. In that span, he's also posted a minus-2 rating. The 31-year-old defenseman has been far from consistent on offense in another challenging season. He's at 16 points, a minus-11 rating, 61 shots on net, 50 hits, 26 blocked shots and 16 PIM through 37 contests.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Earns helper Wednesday
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Ekman-Larsson notched an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Flames.
Ekman-Larsson set up Bo Horvat's first-period tally. With three assists in his last three games, Ekman-Larsson is rediscovering a little consistency on offense. The 31-year-old defenseman has 14 points (three on the power play), 52 shots on net, 45 hits, 23 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating in 29 contests this season. He continues to see top-four minutes, with his current scoring pace putting him on track for his best campaign since 2018-19.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Picks up two assists in win
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Ekman-Larsson posted two assists (one on the power play), two shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Sharks.
Ekman-Larsson helped out on both of Dakota Joshua's goals in the first period. This ended Ekman-Larsson's four-game point drought, which was his longest of the season. He's up to one goal, 12 helpers, 48 shots, 43 hits, 21 blocked shots and a minus-9 rating through 27 outings while logging top-four minutes.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Stays warm with helper
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Ekman-Larsson notched an assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks.
Ekman-Larsson has earned four helpers over the last three games. This has been the defenseman's best stretch of the season so far. The Swede is at one goal, 10 assists, 38 shots on net, 37 hits, 18 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating in 22 outings.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Registers power-play helper
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Ekman-Larsson picked up a power-play assist, three hits and two PIM in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Ekman-Larsson has picked up four assists in his last five games, though this was his first power-play point since Oct. 28. The defenseman now has 10 points (two on the power play), 36 shots on net, 36 hits, 16 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a minus-1 rating through 21 outings. With the Canucks enjoying some health on the blue line, Ekman-Larsson is likely to remain in more of a supporting role.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Carries team with pair of assists
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Ekman-Larsson compiled two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Avalanche.
Ekman-Larsson supplied an apple to level the score at 3-3 and he also connected with blue-line cohort Ethan Bear to secure the game-winning tally. Ekman-Larsson has a goal, eight assists, 16 blocked shots and 33 hits through 20 games. Gone are his days of hanging in the elite class of fantasy defensemen, but OEL remains a steady contributor for a Canucks team that depends on him for 21-plus minutes per game.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Collects assist in win
Rotowire
Ekman-Larsson picked up an assist during Tuesday's win over Buffalo.
The helper snapped a three-game point drought for Ekman-Larsson, who is up to seven points in 17 games on the campaign. He's on pace for 33 points, a slight uptick from last year's 29.
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Canucks' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Pots first goal
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Ekman-Larsson scored a power-play goal on two shots, doled out two hits and logged two PIM in Friday's 5-1 win over the Penguins.
Ekman-Larsson padded the Canucks' lead with his tally late in the third period. The defenseman hasn't seen the scoring boost that was expected after Quinn Hughes (lower body) went on injured reserve. Through nine contests this year, Ekman-Larsson has a goal, four helpers, 16 shots on net, 15 hits, 11 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating. His goal Friday was his first power-play point of the campaign after earning 10 of his 29 points last year with the man advantage.
