Player Discussion Oliver Ekman-Larsson

[oceanchild]

We should trade him for Karlsson this summer. I would count it as a major win if we could convert OEL and Miller for Karlsson personally. At least you have someone with value on the right side.

 

[VanJack]

OEL and Myers are trending just about the way most critics predicted they'd be trending when Benning splurged to acquire them.

Thankfully Myers time with the Canucks is coming to a merciful end. Once his bonuses are paid on July 1st, the Canucks can push him out into the trade market. If they're prepared to retain salary, they can probably find a home for him.

OEL, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. Coming off a borderline disastrous season with the Canucks, his decline is so steep, he's fallen off a cliff. Sticking him on LTIR would be the 'ideal solution'. But if he wants to lace them up again, the Canucks are really on the horns of a dilemma.

If they're a lottery team next year, as expected, then playing OEL on the back end would make zero sense. Seems to me an expensive and painful buyout is the only solution.

 

[oceanchild]

OEL and Myers are trending just about the way most critics predicted they'd be trending when Benning splurged to acquire them.

Thankfully Myers time with the Canucks is coming to a merciful end. Once his bonuses are paid on July 1st, the Canucks can push him out into the trade market. If they're prepared to retain salary, they can probably find a home for him.

OEL, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. Coming off a borderline disastrous season with the Canucks, his decline is so steep, he's fallen off a cliff. Sticking him on LTIR would be the 'ideal solution'. But if he wants to lace them up again, the Canucks are really on the horns of a dilemma.

If they're a lottery team next year, as expected, then playing OEL on the back end would make zero sense. Seems to me an expensive and painful buyout is the only solution.

Make him ride the bench until he quits and goes on LTIR

 

[arttk]

OEL and Myers are trending just about the way most critics predicted they'd be trending when Benning splurged to acquire them.

Thankfully Myers time with the Canucks is coming to a merciful end. Once his bonuses are paid on July 1st, the Canucks can push him out into the trade market. If they're prepared to retain salary, they can probably find a home for him.

OEL, on the other hand, is a totally different matter. Coming off a borderline disastrous season with the Canucks, his decline is so steep, he's fallen off a cliff. Sticking him on LTIR would be the 'ideal solution'. But if he wants to lace them up again, the Canucks are really on the horns of a dilemma.

If they're a lottery team next year, as expected, then playing OEL on the back end would make zero sense. Seems to me an expensive and painful buyout is the only solution.

He’s out week to week, he’s starting to creep towards like forever LTIR especially considering this is like a recurring thing with his knees.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Swedes are known to age like fine wine, except when signed by Vancouver it seems. Louie and Oliver have been disasters.

 

[F A N]

He’s out week to week, he’s starting to creep towards like forever LTIR especially considering this is like a recurring thing with his knees.

I thought he was out with an ankle sprain this time? Nothing to do with his knees.

I am not saying that injuries haven’t destroyed his mobility, but as of now he has played 54 out of 56 Canucks games this season (missed one as a healthy scratch) and played 79 games last season. I think it’s way premature to suggest he is creeping towards spending the remaining years of his contract on LTIR.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

He’s out week to week, he’s starting to creep towards like forever LTIR especially considering this is like a recurring thing with his knees.

Wasnt it a ankle thing?

Canucks: Oliver Ekman-Larsson out for 'some weeks'

The veteran blueliner sprained his ankle Wednesday vs. New York, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed.

theprovince.com

Did I miss an update?

 

[arttk]

Wasnt it a ankle thing?

Canucks: Oliver Ekman-Larsson out for 'some weeks'

The veteran blueliner sprained his ankle Wednesday vs. New York, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed.

theprovince.com

Did I miss an update?

I thought he was out with an ankle sprain this time? Nothing to do with his knees.

I am not saying that injuries haven’t destroyed his mobility, but as of now he has played 54 out of 56 Canucks games this season (missed one as a healthy scratch) and played 79 games last season. I think it’s way premature to suggest he is creeping towards spending the remaining years of his contract on LTIR.

Ok I guess I read wrong. Maybe hoping for a knee injury too much

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Ok I guess I read wrong. Maybe hoping for a knee injury too much

I know you are joking... But...

 

[arttk]

I know you are joking... But...

Trying not too hard to wish injury on other people because karma

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Trying not too hard to wish injury on other people because karma

Sorry. I meant not cool to wish that on anyone.

And OEL is not a bad guy.

He broke his body, playing through serious injury and what must have been immense pain, for the pathetic Yotes teams at the time.

 

[VanJack]

Sorry. I meant not cool to wish that on anyone.

And OEL is not a bad guy.

He broke his body, playing through serious injury and what must have been immense pain, for the pathetic Yotes teams at the time.

Absolutely true imo.....The Coyotes rode OEL like a rented mule....he was the team captain and tried to put the franchise on his back. But trying to play through injuries has taken a terrible toll on his body.....looks to me like his hips or knees might be shot...he such trouble pivoting and taking any body contact along the wall.

Sad to see a player who's body starts breaking down in the his 30's....but it happens. Just unfortunate that at the time, Benning was apparently basing his trade decision on six year old tapes of OEL.

 

[oceanchild]

In looking at the buy out cost, I would be better to retain 50% and ship him off, I would think that with a hit of $3.6m a team looking for a veteran would be interested

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

He’s out week to week, he’s starting to creep towards like forever LTIR especially considering this is like a recurring thing with his knees.

Forever LTIR would be a godsend for this franchise but I hate to think of what they’d do with it. I think Horvat just priced himself out of Vancouver or else he would have been retained or an “own rental” had things been going better in the standings. I do not expect any futures thinking like weaponising capspace.

 

[Icebreakers]

Until we are close to contending, its a waste to buy him out/trade him.

Maybe if we are able to draft a young D on an ELC it might be worth buying him out? You get significant relief for the duration of the ELC, and by the time the largest penalties are over, the ELC is over so you can sign the young D man longer term.

Heres an example, lets say we take Reinbacher this year and he spends a year in the AHL of developing and hes ready for the NHL in the 2024-2025 season.

Reinbacher on his ELC would cost around $925k.

Buying out OEL in 2024 would give a cap hit of

2024-2025 2.0m (Saving 5.2m)
2025-2026 4.4m (Saving 2.9m)
2026-2027 4.4m (Saving 2.9m)
2027-2028 1.8m (You are actually gaining 2.6m compared to the year before)
2028-2029 1.8m
2029-2030 1.8m

By that time, OEL is probably a below replacement level player.. so you arent getting worse.

The savings in those years can likely give you a solid player to sign.

When Reinbacher ELC ends you eat the 3 years at 1.8m and hope the cap from 2027-2030 has gone up significantly.

Doing this in 2025 makes it even easier

Then you save 3.5m for two years and eat a 1.5m cap hit for 2 years.

Just theory crafting though. I can't tell if its actually smart idea or not.

Again, only if we are in a place to contend... id rather spend that money else where than having him on the third pairing bleeding goals against.

 

[oceanchild]

Until we are close to contending, its a waste to buy him out/trade him.

Maybe if we are able to draft a young D on an ELC it might be worth buying him out? You get significant relief for the duration of the ELC, and by the time the largest penalties are over, the ELC is over so you can sign the young D man longer term.

Heres an example, lets say we take Reinbacher this year and he spends a year in the AHL of developing and hes ready for the NHL in the 2024-2025 season.

Reinbacher on his ELC would cost around $925k.

Buying out OEL in 2024 would give a cap hit of

2024-2025 2.0m (Saving 5.2m)
2025-2026 4.4m (Saving 2.9m)
2026-2027 4.4m (Saving 2.9m)
2027-2028 1.8m (You are actually gaining 2.6m compared to the year before)
2028-2029 1.8m
2029-2030 1.8m

By that time, OEL is probably a below replacement level player.. so you arent getting worse.

The savings in those years can likely give you a solid player to sign.

When Reinbacher ELC ends you eat the 3 years at 1.8m and hope the cap from 2027-2030 has gone up significantly.

Doing this in 2025 makes it even easier

Then you save 3.5m for two years and eat a 1.5m cap hit for 2 years.

Just theory crafting though. I can't tell if its actually smart idea or not.

Again, only if we are in a place to contend... id rather spend that money else where than having him on the third pairing bleeding goals against.

We are better to shorten the timeline of when it impacts us and retain in a trade. LTIR would be almost to good to be true.

 

[Icebreakers]

We are better to shorten the timeline of when it impacts us and retain in a trade. LTIR would be almost to good to be true.

I agree, but only if we don't have to give up a major asset. Even if its OEL at 50%, would you trade multiple assets to get rid of that? Hes trending towards a league minimum type player. Dickinson cost us a 2nd to unload and his deal expires next year. OEL at 3.6 for 4 more years?

 

[oceanchild]

I agree, but only if we don't have to give up a major asset. Even if its OEL at 50%, would you trade multiple assets to get rid of that? Hes trending towards a league minimum type player. Dickinson cost us a 2nd to unload and his deal expires next year. OEL at 3.6 for 4 more years?

I think that isn’t outside of reasonable for a number 5 dman and he can be the veteran in the room. Someone like Buffalo might be interested. I think it’s a hard question to really know. Not making a decision is in fact making a decision. My concern is that if he gets worse the cost goes up, I don’t like the way he is trending. Might be better to just eat it, unless you think he will retire and then you do everything you can to talk him into LTIR.

 

[Luck 6]

At this point, best case scenario is OEL comes back next season and plays similar to how he did LAST season. I don’t think that would be unthinkable, and if so, we should be able to trade him at around 40% retention without giving up a bunch of assets.

But even if not, I don’t know, a buyout doesn’t look that bad on paper. With the cap going up, and the possibility of getting either a ELC defenseman, or maybe even Schenn at a reduced cap hit, over a few years may make it workable.

 

[Icebreakers]

I think that isn’t outside of reasonable for a number 5 dman and he can be the veteran in the room. Someone like Buffalo might be interested. I think it’s a hard question to really know. Not making a decision is in fact making a decision. My concern is that if he gets worse the cost goes up, I don’t like the way he is trending. Might be better to just eat it, unless you think he will retire and then you do everything you can to talk him into LTIR.

Have to keep in mind he has a full NMC

Don't think he would waive for much. In Arizona he only waived for us and Boston.

So facilitating a trade is extremely difficult.

 

[Hit the post]

Have to keep in mind he has a full NMC

Don't think he would waive for much. In Arizona he only waived for us and Boston.

So facilitating a trade is extremely difficult.

His base salary is still 8 million cash next season as well (doesn't drop to 5.25 million until each of the last two years of his contract).

 

[PuckMunchkin]

At this point, best case scenario is OEL comes back next season and plays similar to how he did LAST season. I don’t think that would be unthinkable, and if so, we should be able to trade him at around 40% retention without giving up a bunch of assets.

But even if not, I don’t know, a buyout doesn’t look that bad on paper. With the cap going up, and the possibility of getting either a ELC defenseman, or maybe even Schenn at a reduced cap hit, over a few years may make it workable.

We are stuck with this contract.

Buyout looks bad.

When the cap goes up it goes up for other teams as well.

 

[4th line culture]

It's kind of interesting that the Bruins have been interested in some "key" Canucks' acquisitions over the years. The Bruins wanted to re-sign Eriksson, they were rumoured to be interested in Ferland, and they were one of the teams that wanted to acquire OEL.

Back to OEL, I actually hope OEL is shut down for the season and just focus on getting healthy and better next season.

Wasnt boston the only other team he would wave for? Did they have much interest in oel?

 

[Luck 6]

We are stuck with this contract.

Buyout looks bad.

When the cap goes up it goes up for other teams as well.

Hey, no one is saying this contract isn’t bad. But, if OEL is going to be playing like a bottom pairing defender, then a buyout is plausible as we can easily fill such a role with the savings and still have money to spare. Hopefully next year he bounces back, but if not, we need to consider this.

 

[F A N]

Wasnt boston the only other team he would wave for? Did they have much interest in oel?

Yep. Based on the reporting, the Bruins made an offer for OEL in summer 2020 and the Coyotes actually preferred Bruins' package of prospects to the Canucks (reportedly included Studnicka). Deal didn't happen before OEL's deadline though.