NHL trade rumors: 3 teams who should trade for Oliver Ekman-Larsson

According to the latest NHL trade rumors, Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Arizona Coyotes is on the trading block.

This offseason will be filled of action for the Arizona Coyotes. Their punishment for violating the league’s Combine Testing Policy leaves them without a 2020 second-round pick or a 2021 first-round pick. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Coyotes are shopping most of their players. One of them is team captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Recently, The Athletic put him second on the offseason trade bait list and TSN placed him fourth on theirs. Reportedly, OEL’s patience with the Coyotes is starting to wear a bit thin, so to speak. Ekman-Larsson has been in the league since the 2010-11 season and has only appeared in two postseasons. That’s got to be pretty darn frustrating.

Yes, Ekman-Larsson has a no-movement clause. However, he might be willing to waive it to get out of the desert. This has been a rough year for the Coyotes and it wouldn’t be surprising if OEL has had enough. They’re reportedly shopping star goaltender Darcy Kuemper as well.

Ekman-Larsson has seven years left on his current contract, which has an average annual value of $8.25 million. In these hard times, teams might not be willing to take on that contract. As a matter of fact, according to Spotrac, there are already nine teams who have less than $8.25 million of cap space.

Trading OEL will be complicated, but he’s a very talented defenseman who is highly respected around the league. Left-handed defensemen like Ekman-Larsson usually aren’t available. Even during these tough financial times, if OEL is available, he’s going to draw some interest. It will be hard to make things work financially, but maybe a team or two thinks Ekman-Larsson is worth the effort.

Without further ado, let’s look at three potential fits for Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

3. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are likely not going to re-sign left-handed defenseman Torey Krug, who’s going to test free agency. Additionally, there’s a non-zero chance team captain Zdeno Chara has played in his last NHL game. While he is on record saying he wants to return, the uncertainty of the 2020-21 season might change his mind, especially if the season doesn’t start in December as planned.

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If they lose both Chara and Krug, this would leave the Bruins with a huge hole on their left side of the blueline. Matt Grzelcyk and John Moore are their only other left-handed defensemen on the roster. While they have top prospect Urho Vaakanainen, the Bruins simply can’t afford to assume he’ll hold down a roster spot for the entire season.

Ekman-Larsson would make sense for the Bruins should they not bring back Chara or Krug. His $8.25 million cap hit would be a bit pricey, but with very limited options available in free agency, Boston could easily justify going after him. Also, it’s worth pointing out OEL has served as a team captain for the Coyotes and Chara is their captain.

If the Bruins are willing to take on his full contract, they likely won’t have to give up a huge return. A 2021 first-round pick, a prospect, and a roster player might get it done.

2. Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are looking to make some changes after another disappointing season. Though they made the extended postseason and beat the Winnipeg Jets in the play-in round, the Dallas Stars got the best of them in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flames haven’t been past the first round since the 2014-15 season despite having three playoff appearances.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Flames are looking to upgrade their defense. General Manager Brad Treliving, who used to work with the Coyotes, has reportedly taken a look at Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

The Flames have a pick in each round of the 2020 draft and in all but the fourth round in the 2021 draft. So the Flames could offer the Coyotes some draft assets to help recoup what they’ve lost between the Taylor Hall trade and the punishment for violating the league’s Combine Testing Policy.

However, there’s a far more interesting trade that could be made between the Flames and the Coyotes. How about a Sean Monahan for Ekman-Larsson swap? The Coyotes would save some salary and cap space, plus they’d get a legitimate top-line center.

They say it takes two partners to tango. Both the Coyotes and the Flames want to make huge changes this offseason. A trade between the two teams could make a great deal of sense.