Oliver Ekman-Larsson opens up about joining the Toronto Maple Leafs
Oliver Ekman-Larsson opens up about why he decided to join the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1st, praising a top figure in the organization for his choice.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed former Florida Panthers defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a 4 year contract worth 14 million dollars, the move was met with both criticism and optimism depending on which corner of the internet you looked.
Now, the newly minted Stanley Cup Champion has opened up about his choice to leave Florida for the no doubt more scrutinized market that is Toronto, as per Craig Morgan of PHX Sports.
@PHNX_Sports
Craig Morgan on reunion with Treliving in TO: «I don't want to sound like I'm sucking up but Brad is one unbelievable person. I don't think Toronto knows how lucky it is to have a guy like that who cares a lot about his surroundings, organization and players.»
Brad Treliving the Leafs current general manager has had the tough task of basically trying to retool the Leafs from top to bottom and has taken the heat for it. However, not many people know about him as a person. For a Stanley Cup Champion who has worked with Treliving before in Arizona to endorse him like this is certainly a good sign.
Larsson, 33, was a very serviceable defender last year, appearing in 80 games for the Panthers. He scored 9 goals and added 23 assists for a total of 32 points.
Giving a 33 year old a 4 year contract worth 3.5 annually is always going to carry a little bit of risk with it, but hopefully Treliving and the Maple Leafs are moving in the right direction. Only time will tell.
Statistics - Hockey Reference
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs made the right choice in signing Oliver Ekman-Larsson? | ||
| Yes | 50 | 56.8 % |
| No | 22 | 25 % |
| He's a good signing for now, too much term | 16 | 18.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
