Canucks buy defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s contract
Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s time in Vancouver is over.
The Canucks said Friday that they had bought out the defenseman’s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Ekman-Larsson had four years and $29 million US remaining on an eight-year, $66 million contract he signed with Arizona in 2018.
In a release, the Canucks said they will pay the Swedish defender $19.33 million over the next eight years.
Had the team retained Ekman-Larsson, he would have received a total of $18.5 million over the next two years alone, Allvin added.
“It is our expectation that after this year the limit will also increase significantly, making it the right time to execute this buyout,” he said.
Thank you, OL! pic.twitter.com/rVfZjIIqOp
In March, head coach Rick Tocchet expressed belief that Ekman-Larsson would return as Canuck next season.
“This is a big summer for him,” Tochchet said at the time. “I know a lot of people reject him. I don’t know, I feel like he’s going to have a really good year. There’s a glint in his eye.
In a 2021 draft weekend trade, the Canucks acquired Ekman-Larsson and forward Conor Garland from the Coyotes for forwards Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel. Arizona also received the No. 9 pick (used to select Dylan Guenter) that year, a second-round pick in 2022, and a seventh-round pick in 2023.
At the time, ex-Canucks general manager Jim Benning said he saw Ekman-Larsson as a top-torque defender.
“I think what he’s going to bring to our whole team is going to be huge in terms of what he’s doing in the locker room to guide our young players in what he’s doing on the ice,” said Benning.
51 points in 133 games with Vancouver
Ekman-Larsson had two goals and 20 assists in 54 games with the Canucks last season. He missed the last 27 games of the campaign with an ankle injury.
During two seasons with the Canucks, Ekman-Larsson had 51 points (7-44) in 133 games.
A sixth overall pick in 2009, the 31-year-old blueliner spent 12 seasons with the Coyotes. Tochchet was his coach at Arizona for four seasons.
