Recently we learned that Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, has been given an eight-year, $66MM ($8.25MM AAV) contract extension offer by the Arizona Coyotes. The team is waiting for a decision from their superstar defenseman, though nothing can officially be signed until July 1st when Ekman-Larsson is less than a year away from free agency. Nothing stops the team and player from agreeing to terms before that date, and as hockey insider Bob McKenzie opines in his latest Bobcast for TSN, they could also potentially move to a different course of action depending on the answer.
The general sense from within the organization is they’re optimistic [he’ll re-sign]. They believe that Ekman-Larsson is more likely than not to want to stay for the next eight years in Arizona, and take the 8x$8.25MM deal. I’m not saying he’s not, only that I don’t think he’s made that final decision yet. Last I heard he was in France on a vacation—and I’m not sure if there’s a specific timeline here—but I would have to think in the next week or two, the Arizona Coyotes want to know from Ekman-Larsson and his representatives ’is he prepared to commit to that long-term deal?’ Because if he’s not, then there’s no doubt in my mind that Arizona will try to trade him.
The fact that Ekman-Larsson hasn’t made a final decision yet isn’t surprising, as he only recently finished playing at the IIHF World Championship and has plenty of time to weigh all of his options. The interesting part though is that McKenzie believes that the Coyotes would try to trade him, presumably this summer, if they can’t get a deal. In fact, McKenzie goes on to say that he believes the team hasn’t ruled something like that out at this point:
I believe that Arizona has kept its options open in that regard. I don’t think that they’re being real proactive, picking up the phone and calling teams and saying ’Hey do you want to trade for Ekman-Larsson?’ but I think they’re well aware of which teams are interested in Ekman-Larsson, and that there is ongoing dialogue that if a trade were to become necessary, how they would go about it. Their priority, no doubt about it, is to get Ekman-Larsson signed to that eight-year extension.
Obviously none of this is a concrete report that Ekman-Larsson will be traded, or that he will re-sign with the Coyotes in the coming weeks. He may not make a decision for months and the team could be fine waiting until part way through the season before making a final decision on his future. But the idea that Arizona would strongly consider a trade should he turn down the offer—which McKenzie believes is as high as the team is willing to go salary-wise—does add another intriguing name to the market this summer. A player like Ekman-Larsson could generate the most interest out of anyone not named John Tavares, and really change the market for a player like John Carlson who currently looks like the best puck-moving option available. Ekman-Larsson would come with just one year left on his contract, but could potentially sign an extension with any acquiring team right away.
Still, the 26-year old defenseman has never given any indication that he is frustrated with Arizona, despite the speculation that has surrounded him while the team struggles on the ice. After a relatively successful second half of the 2017-18 season, perhaps he believes the franchise is headed in the right direction with young players like Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun at the wheel. The team has gone out of their way to provide a support system for Ekman-Larsson has he dealt with a tough personal year, and it has never seemed like the relationship between organization and star has waned.
As we approach the NHL Entry Draft in less than three weeks, more player movement will surely arise and teams will start organizing their depth charts for the 2018-19 season. If the ball is truly in Ekman-Larsson’s court, he could drastically change the market on the draft floor by making a decision by then. Even if he takes the contract, strategies for the Coyotes and other teams could be altered, if only as another 2019 “Superclass” member drops off the table.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images