Why is everyone obsessed with Oliver Ekman-Larsson?

Is it just me or does it feel like many Toronto Maple Leafs fans are treating Oliver Ekman-Larsson like the second coming of Bobby Orr?

This summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract worth $14M total, which means he could be a member of the organization until he's 37-years-old. Is the Stanley Cup winning defenseman playing good over the team's first three games?

Absolutely, but three games doesn't justify that horrendous contract.

This Leafs defensive group is not very good. Chris Tanev is the team's best defenseman but he isn't even one of the 15 best in the league.

Morgan Rielly is one of the most overrarted players in the NHL and if he can't score 15 goals and put up 70 points, he's kind of useless. He's not physical and isn't a solid defensive defenseman, so if he's not scoring, what's the point of paying him $7.5M AAV? His skating is supposed to stretch out the opponent and he's supposed to be a big help on the power-play, but in the first three games, that hasn't happened.

Jake McCabe is a solid No. 3 or No. 4 defenseman on a legitimate Stanley Cup winning team, so he's fine, but he's nothing special. As for the rest of the group, Connor Timmins and Simon Benoit are replaceable players that don't make a difference. In fact, Timothy Liljegren, who's sat in the press box the first three games, should be playing ahead of both of them and can easily be a top-four defenseman on a Stanley Cup winning team.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson Start Is Nice, But Is Not Going to Last

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the Leafs defense is not good and Ekman-Larsson being the team's best defenseman right now showcases that. There is no way that any of us should want him to be the team's best defender because if that continues, the Leafs have no chance to win in the playoffs.

When Ekman-Larsson won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last year, he played the fifth most minutes among defensemen, which is perfect for him. The fact that he played over 25 minutes TOI on Saturday night is not something we should praise, but instead should be scared of.

The Panthers had players like Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad all ahead of Ekman-Larsson on the depth chart, and unfortunately the Leafs don't have anyone as good as those three. Sure, it's possible that the Leafs can't make a run because either Anthony Stolarz or Joseph Woll goes on a run, but don't expect that.

This run of "great" hockey by Ekman-Larsson is just a flash in the pan and the team should still be looking for that legitimate No. 1 defenseman or they'll struggle once again the spring.