The Best and worst moves by the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason

Worst Move: The Four-Year Deal for Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson

As a former 20+ goal scorer and 40+ point-getter with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was certainly one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL during his prime. So when the Leafs went out this summer to sign the 14-year veteran to help boost their defense corps for the upcoming season, it seemed like a great move by the organization. The only caveat though was the fact that the four-year, $18 million deal may be just a few years too many. 

One has to remember that it wasn’t too long ago when Ekman-Larsson appeared to be on the decline in just the previous four seasons prior to joining the Florida Panthers last year. It actually got so bad that the Vancouver Canucks had to buy him out to move on from him after the 2022-23 season. With the defensively-strong Panthers team last season, they were able to give Ekman-Larsson sheltered minutes to help maximize his overall effectiveness in his game. As a result, his renewed success enabled him to put together his best year in almost over half a decade.

But with the Leafs likely to prop him into a top-four role, similar to what they tried with John Klingberg just last season, they better hope that the 33-year-old will become more prime Mark Giordano than what Klingberg became of last year. But unlike Klingberg, whom the Leafs were able to let go after the underwhelming season, Ekman-Larsson would be tied down to many more years even if he fails to perform. As a result, the Leafs could regret badly in their decision and potentially even be in buyout territory in due time.