Might the Bruins goal Oliver Ekman-Larsson as a low-risk, high-reward free agent?

Bruins

“I do marvel in regards to the Boston Bruins with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.”

The Bruins aren’t essentially geared up for a spending spree this summer season.

With underneath $5 million in accessible cap room as of Sunday night and simply 14 skaters at the moment underneath contract, Don Sweeney has few choices accessible this summer season, except he manages to shed a number of contracts.

Even when Boston does handle to craft further wiggle room, most of that cap area is probably going going to be diverted towards retaining current expertise on the roster, be it a veteran stalwart like Patrice Bergeron or one of many workforce’s deadline pickups like Tyler Bertuzzi.

IF Boston somebody will get the cap room so as to add to this workforce as soon as the free-agency feeding frenzy begins on July 1, it’ll need to be low-risk, high-reward belongings keen to ink low cost offers.

Given these tight parameters, it comes as no shock that Oliver Ekman-Larsson has already come up as an intriguing offseason possibility for Boston.

The 31-year-old Ekman-Larsson is now a free agent after his earlier workforce within the Canucks opted to purchase out the ultimate 4 years of his eight-year, $66 million contract.

Vancouver, in a cap crunch of its personal, opted to tackle a median cap penalty of $2.126 million over the subsequent eight years simply to wipe that contract off the books.

As soon as one of many extra underrated blueliners within the NHL throughout his tenure with the Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson’s recreation declined quickly with the Canucks. His 2022-23 marketing campaign was one to overlook, with a middling Vancouver membership outscored, 82-50, throughout his 1,089 minutes.

If the 6-foot-2 blueliner is seeking to recoup his worth on an affordable, “prove-it” contract, the Bruins would possibly come calling.

Again in 2021 when the Coyotes have been fielding presents for Ekman-Larsson, a number of reviews had the defenseman opting to solely waive his no-trade clause for Boston or Vancouver.

Arizona opted to ship him west to the Canucks, nevertheless it looks like the intrigue in Boston remains to be there from Ekman-Larsson’s camp.

“We’ve talked about varied groups which have made performs for Oliver Ekman-Larsson prior to now. The Boston Bruins have been on that checklist, have been on that checklist beforehand,” Jeff Marek mentioned on the “32 Ideas” podcast final week. 

“And he likes them,” fellow NHL insider Elliotte Friedman added.

“That’s one of many groups I questioned about proper out of the gate right here,” Marek continued. “Pay attention, it’s not precisely a secret that the Boston Bruins are going to need to do some issues right here. If you may get an Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a budget, perhaps that affords you the posh of with the ability to do one thing that you just in any other case had some misgivings about. So, I do marvel in regards to the Boston Bruins with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, whether or not that may lastly come to some fruition.”

At first look, there doesn’t look like a spot for Ekman-Larsson on Boston’s blue line.

However given the necessity for extra cap room and the backlog of gamers on the left facet of the B’s protection, it’s an space of the roster destined to be diced up this summer season.

It looks like a provided that a minimum of two of Mike Reilly, Derek Forbort and Matt Grzelcyk shall be both purchased out or traded sooner or later this offseason.

Changing one in all Forbort or Grzelcyk with a less expensive participant in Ekman-Larsson may be a savvy means for Boston to shake issues up, create cap area and doubtlessly inject extra expertise into Boston’s lineup.

After all, such a state of affairs requires Ekman-Larsson to need to take a short-term deal for round $1.5 – $2 million this season. And Boston has to carve out a roster spot as effectively.

Ekman-Larsson is extra cellular than Forbort and even when he’s not a bruiser, he ought to be capable to stand up to the punishing nature of the playoffs greater than the 5-foot-9 Grzelcyk. However even when he’s relegated to a third-pairing function, is a change of surroundings sufficient for Ekman-Larsson to reverse his downward pattern?

Ekman-Larsson will probably by no means be the offensive conduit he as soon as was in Arizona, the place he averaged 24:38 of ice time and 16.5 targets per season from 2013-19.

However for as poor as his 2022-23 marketing campaign was, Ekman-Larsson’s first foray with the Canucks provided some promise over his potential to carry his personal as a two-way ace.

Together with posting 29 factors (5 targets, 24 assists) over 79 video games and averaging 22:19 of ice time per contest, he had simply 44.01 % of his faceoffs set within the offensive zone throughout 5v5 play.

That D-zone utilization ranked 171st out of the 213 NHL defensemen who logged a minimum of 500 minutes of 5v5 ice time in 2021-22. However even with Vancouver handing him loads of shifts in his workforce’s personal zone, a relatively middling Canucks workforce nonetheless outscored opponents, 55-46, throughout Ekman-Larsson’s 1387:43 of 5v5 ice time.

Very like how Hampus Lindholm thrived in Boston following his commerce from a rudderless Anaheim roster, maybe Ekman-Larsson is due for a resurgence in Jim Montgomery’s system?

If Boston does transfer on from one in all Forbort or Grzelcyk, Ekman-Larsson does have an opportunity to fit in on the left facet of Boston’s second or third defensive pairing. On a short-term deal, he not solely doubtlessly lifts the Bruins’ defensive ceiling, however is a more-than-serviceable stopgap as Boston awaits Mason Lohrei’s arrival.

After all, if Ekman-Larsson’s recreation is certainly on a gentle decline, the Bruins may very well be changing Forbort or Grzelcyk with a lesser participant, and that not even be definitely worth the cap saving — which could nonetheless be unrealistic if Ekman-Larsson’s needs a deal round $3-4 million.

Is Ekman-Larsson the right addition to Boston’s blue line? In all probability not. Is he a certain guess to bounce again? Positively not.

However given Boston’s cap state of affairs, Sweeney and the Bruins don’t essentially have the leeway to select and select each accessible possibility on the market available on the market.

But when they’re seeking to roll the cube on low-cost, high-reward choices, Ekman-Larsson does make loads of sense.