The Toronto Maple Leafs will have two representatives on Team Sweden for the upcoming 2026 Olympic tourney. William Nylander was a slam-dunk no-brainer. He’ll wear a letter and play on the team’s top line.
But the other Maple Leafs’ rep, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, was a bit of a surprise. The entire Swedish blueline is chock full of gifted, offensively-driven players. Ekman-Larsson is not the exception.
What makes Ekman-Larsson’s selection a mild surprise is that he’s long been considered past his prime. This season, however, the 34-year-old seems to have taken a stroll to the Fountain of Youth. In fact, Ekman-Larsson’s turnaround this season could have enticed Auston Matthews to take a sip from it himself.
When the Maple Leafs signed Ekman-Larsson last season, the expectation is he would shore up the team’s third pairing. He certainly lived up to that billing. But this year, Ekman-Larsson is on pace for his best season since 2018-19. He’s on pace to top 10 goals and 40 points.
That’s something that definitely caught the eye of Team Sweden’s management group. They saw in Ekman-Larsson another grizzled veteran, who could deliver solid, consistent play. Sure, Sweden’s blueline is mind-shocking. Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, and Rasmus Andersson are all elite-level players. Follow that up with Philip Broberg and Jonas Brodin, and all of a sudden, Sweden looks stacked on the back end.
Talent notwithstanding, there’s something the Swedish blueline lacks: Punch. That’s an intangible that Ekman-Larsson has plenty of. He’s a tough customer who’s not afraid of roughhousing. Beyond Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, Sweden doesn’t have too many pugnacious players. That’s where Ekman-Larsson can add another dimension to his team.
It’s worth noting that Ekman-Larsson may find it tough to crack the starting lineup. He’s likely the eighth defenseman. Still, Sweden has the luxury of including two former Norris Trophy winners to play in front of three high-end netminders.
So, even if Ekman-Larsson finds his playing time somewhat scarce at the 2026 Olympics, just getting the nod to represent his country is a well-deserved honour for the Maple Leafs blueliner.