Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson in some elite company over the last decade
Over the last decade, only 3 other NHL defensemen have more power play goals than newly-minted Maple Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The power play was a large area of concern that Leafs GM Brad Treliving seeked to address this summer when he signed Ekman-Larsson to a four-year, $3.5 million AAV deal. According to the stats gurus at Big Head Hockey, this looks like a wise decision.
That's right -- over the past decade, Ekman-Larsson is just 9 power play goals back of leader Roman Josi, 4 goals back of 2nd place Brent Burns and 2 goals back of Drew Doughty, long believed to be one of the NHL's elite defensemen of his era.
Finally, Toronto has a goal scoring threat from the blueline -- a big shot from the point on the power play. This should not only help the Leafs on the power play, but also 5-on-5.
Giving OEL significant power play minutes gives the team a new look and also frees up Rielly to play more minutes 5-on-5. While that won't be a big deal during the season, less wear and tear will really help during the playoffs, where Rielly's excellent skating and playmaking can take over as games.
While Ekman-Larsson is not the player he was 8-10 years ago, he did show flashes of brilliance last season in Florida. His 9 goals would have led all Maple Leafs defensemen. His 32 points would have made him the 2nd-most productive defenseman on the team behind only Rielly.
If you're looking for a reason to be optimistic about this signing, look no further, because his production from the back-end is just what the doctor ordered in Toronto.
Source for stats: Oliver Ekman-Larsson stats and bio
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