Ekman-Larsson is intriguing FA target for Bruins amid cap crunch

Should the Boston Bruins pursue Oliver Ekman-Larsson?

If this question sounds familiar, that's because we discussed the topic quite a bit in 2020 and 2021 when the then-Arizona Coyotes defenseman's name was often the subject of trade rumors.

Ekman-Larsson's agent revealed in October of 2020 that the two teams his client would accept a trade to join were the Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks. The Swedish blueliner -- and his massive eight-year, $66 million contract -- was ultimately dealt to the Canucks in July of 2021.

OEL's tenure in Vancouver was short lived, to say the least. He did not live up to expectations in two seasons for the Canucks, and they bought out the remaining four years of his contract last week in an expensive move and one that makes Ekman-Larsson an unrestricted free agent. Vancouver will be paying Ekman-Larsson until 2031 as a result of the buyout.

Massive buyout for Oliver Ekman-Larsson sprinkled over the next 8 years. The #Canucks are paying him $19.5 million in real cash to go away, per @CapFriendly. pic.twitter.com/zSwNBPHLPh

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 16, 2023

Now that Ekman-Larsson is available again and he doesn't carry an $8.25 million salary cap hit, we'll circle back to our original question: Should the Bruins pursue him?

The short answer is yes, but it should only be considered under the right circumstances.

A one-year, prove-it type of contract for low money would make Ekman-Larsson a worthy investment for the Bruins. He should be plenty motivated to prove he's still a quality defenseman, and going to a well-structured, strong defensive team like the B's is the ideal place for him to revive his career. Another potentially enticing aspect about the B's for Ekman-Larsson is the fact that several of their defensemen posted career highs in scoring (or close to it) during head coach Jim Montgomery's first year behind the bench. His uptempo style of play that encourages defensemen to get involved in the attack suits OEL's offensive-minded skill set.

What are the odds this actually happens?

Sportsnet's Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed this topic on Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast. Here's how that exchange unfolded:

Marek: "We've talked about various teams that have made plays for Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the past, the Boston Bruins have been on that list ..."

Friedman: "And he likes them."

Marek: "That's one of the teams I've wondered about right out of the gate here. Listen, it's not exactly a secret that the Bruins are going to have to do some things here. If you can get an Ekman-Larsson on the cheap, maybe that affords you the luxury of being able to do something that you otherwise had some misgivings about. So I do wonder about the Bruins with Ekman-Larsson ..."

Ekman-Larsson, who will turn 32 in July, didn't play well this past season. His performance has not been trending up of late. In fact, it's been going the other way, as noted in the graphic below:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been bought out by VAN.

He's a veteran offensive defenceman who kept his head above water in his first season with the club but the erosion of his transition play and defence was too much to justify anything close to his term and cap hit. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/PbkOejLB3x

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 16, 2023

In his defense, few Canucks players exceeded expectations in what was another lackluster showing in Vancouver last season. Ekman-Larsson had a solid 2021-22 campaign for Vancouver during which he tallied 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) and played 22:19 per game. So he's not far removed from being a decent-enough player. If healthy, he can be a quality contributor for a contender with his playmaking ability and smooth skating.

A third-pairing role is the best kind for Ekman-Larsson right now, and the Bruins could have a spot open depending on what happens with Derek Forbort and/or Matt Grzelcyk this summer. Both players are entering the final years of their respective contracts. Connor Clifton, who played on the right side of the Bruins' third pairing last season, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Bruins are tight against the salary cap with under $5 million space right now. They will almost certainly need to make a few moves, whether that's trades or buyouts, to create enough salary cap space to put together a full roster.

Low-cost veterans on cheap contracts are what the Bruins need most, and if Ekman-Larsson fits that profile, then it's worth giving him a shot. And it's not like the Bruins have any stud prospects on the blue line ready to make an immediate impact. Mason Lohrei is the closest, but some more experience in the AHL would help his development. There's no need to rush his NHL debut.