Oliver Ekman-Larsson chose to leave the Florida Panthers in free agency and accept a multiyear contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After helping Florida win the Stanley Cup, Ekman-Larsson soon signed a free agent contract with Toronto, despite the Panthers’ interest in bringing him back. However, the defenseman spoke with Craig Morgan of GoPhnx.com and explained why he chose to join with the Maple Leafs. “It’s so odd. You just won the Cup with a team you’ve been battling for a year and adore and admire — the entire organization for what they’ve done for me personally — so it wasn’t an easy choice. I am a guy that constantly attempts to go with
My gut feeling, and when Toronto expressed interest, I knew this was what I wanted to do and what we wanted to accomplish as a family,” Ekman-Larsson explained. “I’ve always enjoyed coming in there as an away team and playing in that building. It’s always special. Obviously, the organization has a rich history, and I believe they have a great team with the potential to do something extraordinary. “I think it’s a good fit,” Ekman-Larsson said.
On July 1, Ekman-Larsson signed a four-year, $14 million contract with Toronto to improve the team’s defensive core.
According to Ekman-Larsson, he is looking forward to playing in Toronto and helping the Maple Leafs win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
Ekman-Larsson Has Familiarity With The Maple Leafs Front Office
Ekman-Larsson’s familiarity with Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and executive Shane Doan contributed to his decision to join in Toronto. Treliving began his career as an assistant general manager for the Arizona Coyotes, when Ekman-Larsson and Doan were players. The defenseman, who is a former teammate of Doan’s and has previously worked with Treliving, said he is excited to work with them again.
“I don’t want to seem like I’m sucking up to him, but Brad is an incredible person. I don’t think Toronto realizes how fortunate they are to have a person like that who cares deeply about his environment, organization, and players. And the other person is OK, too. He meant a lot to me for what he did for me as a child in Arizona. “Playing with a guy like that—I wish everyone had the opportunity to be around a guy like Doaner,” Ekman-Larsson stated.
Ekman-Larsson has played in 982 regular-season games, scoring 144 goals and 327 assists for 471 points.
Treliving is pleased with the defense upgrades.
Toronto was busy in upgrading its defense during free agency, signing Chris Tanev and Ekman-Larsson to multi-year contracts.
Tanev and Ekman-Larsson are NHL veterans with a wealth of expertise, which excites Treliving.
“We have a group of defensemen. I’d rather have too many than not enough, so we’ll try to work things out in the following days. Today is a day to add players, but you’ll construct your club over the summer. “There are certainly some areas that we still want to address and improve,” Treliving stated on July 1.
Toronto will begin the 2024-25 NHL season on the road on October 9, against the Montreal Canadiens.
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