Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson is staying put after his self-imposed trade deadline for the opening of free agency passed, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1314597392562491394
Despite not being a free agent, Ekman-Larsson still emerged as one of the biggest names to watch this signing season. The Coyotes captain was on the trade block but, considering he’s equipped with a no-move clause, was able to have significant say in his potential destination. His list was short — the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks — and came with a self-imposed deadline of Oct. 9.
The Coyotes appear to be headed toward another rebuild. New general manager Bill Armstrong said upon his hiring last month he’s eager to collect assets and confirmed earlier this week that big-name UFA Taylor Hall would not be targeted for a new contract.
Both Boston and Vancouver would have reason to be interested in the elite rearguard — Vancouver’s on the verge of serious contention and Boston has been there for a while now — but both clubs also have long to-do lists this off-season and are tasked with sizeable challenges in free agency. In Vancouver, GM Jim Benning has a cap crunch coming with young stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes owed new deals next summer, which may already be affecting his ability to keep goalie Jacob Markstrom, defenceman Chris Tanev, and forward Tyler Toffoli in the fold this fall. All three still have big question marks beside their names. In Boston, Ekman-Larsson’s possible arrival would go hand-in-hand with a decision on Torey Krug, with the Bruins already facing cap concerns without trying to juggle two of the best rearguards in the game.
Ekman-Larsson, 29, signed an eight-year, $66-million extension with Arizona on July 1, 2018 — his first point of eligibility to do so. He’s got seven more years on that deal, carrying a cap hit of $8.25 million.
Despite his personal deadline having passed, Ekman-Larsson will still be a name worth watching as teams sort out their free agency outlooks now that the window has opened.
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