Oliver Ekman-Larsson was happy to wake up Saturday still a member of the Maple Leafs.
The veteran, Stanley Cup-winning defenceman, was held out of two games by the woefully underperforming club ahead of the NHL trade deadline for "roster management purposes" as Toronto fielded offers for a player with two seasons remaining on his contract.
When the bell sounded at 3 p.m. ET Friday and general managers could make no more moves, the 34-year-old was relieved to still be sporting blue and white.
It's also clear the last stretch weighed heavily on his mind.
"It's hard, especially for me," Ekman-Larsson said Saturday morning before the struggling Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena. "I wanted to be here and we love it here … that makes it even harder."
Asked if fences need to be mended with an organization that signed him to a four-year, US$14-million deal in July 2024 after a title-winning campaign for the Florida Panthers, he smiled, shifted his body, and then chose the next words out of his mouth carefully.
"I don't know," Ekman-Larsson replied. "I was just, like I said, happy to still be here … that's what I wanted, and that's what my family wanted, so super excited about that. I still have a lot of belief in this organization and love being here. I was trying not to think about it too much.
"But it was pretty tough."
The Maple Leafs (27-26-11), who are 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and look poised to miss the annual Cup chase for the first time since 2016, have occupied a post-season spot for just 48 hours since Nov. 12.
They also own an ugly 4-11-4 record since topping the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in mid-January.
Ekman-Larsson was asked why he still believes in a roster that has painfully underperformed after making the second round of the playoffs — Toronto's ninth consecutive appearance in hockey's annual spring dance — just over nine months ago.
"Still think that we can do something special," said the Swede, who also represented his country at the Milan Cortina Olympics. "Hasn't gone the way we wanted this year, but still like the pieces that we have."
The Maple Leafs (27-26-11), who are 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and look poised to miss the annual Cup chase for the first time since 2016, have occupied a post-season spot for just 48 hours since Nov. 12.
They also own an ugly 4-11-4 record since topping the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in mid-January.
Ekman-Larsson was asked why he still believes in a roster that has painfully underperformed after making the second round of the playoffs — Toronto's ninth consecutive appearance in hockey's annual spring dance — just over nine months ago.
"Still think that we can do something special," said the Swede, who also represented his country at the Milan Cortina Olympics. "Hasn't gone the way we wanted this year, but still like the pieces that we have."
