Former Canucks defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, purchased out by Vancouver in June, is about to hitch the Florida Panthers as a free agent.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson is about to hitch the Florida Panthers.
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The previous Canuck, who noticed the ultimate 4 years on his contract purchased out final moth by the NHL staff, is signing a one-year, $2.25 million take care of the Florida Panthers, CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal studies.
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Former Canucks GM Jim Benning traded for the previous Arizona Coyotes star in the summertime of 2021. At the moment Ekman-Larsson was two years into an eight-year contract, averaging $8.25 million per season.
Benning hoped Ekman-Larsson, who for a number of years was seen, quietly, as among the best defencemen in hockey, might be the staff’s No. 1 defenceman.
And although he was a succesful participant in his first season in Vancouver, the high-priced Ekman-Larsson by no means lived as much as his huge contract in Vancouver. Already gradual of foot, he broke his foot on the world championships in Might 2022 and endured a depressing 2022-23 season.
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He couldn’t defend like he used to, struggling defending towards each the push and in-zone, his efficiency so poor he was even a wholesome scratch at one level. Even his scoring manufacturing suffered.
Outwardly his constructive outlook by no means wavered, however after the season he admitted the season had been a wrestle.
However he additionally vowed that he could be a lot nearer to his outdated self for 2023-24. He didn’t have to alter his recreation, he insisted, he simply needed to be wholesome.
The Canucks initialled talked like he was going to get that probability subsequent fall, however as soon as Ethan Bear’s well being standing modified — he injured his shoulder on the world championships, aggravating a long-standing challenge, and had surgical procedure — placing him out of motion till December, Canucks administration clearly believed that their roster plan wanted to be extra aggressive and so they moved to purchase out Ekman-Larsson.
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His contract will now dwell on as a dead-money cap hit on the Canucks’ wage cap finances for the following eight years.
And the type and pleasant Swede will get to chase redemption by the seashore with the Panthers.
The Panthers, by the best way, are an early-season opponent for the Canucks, who go to South Florida in October on their season-opening street journey.
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