Oliver Ekman-Larsson Opens Up About a Secret Weapon to His Game That Not Many Knew He Possessed

Everyone knows about the playmaking and booming slap-shot but one aspect of Oliver Ekman-Larsson's game is starting to unfold before our eyes.

Throughout his career, the one aspect of Ekman-Larsson's game that everyone was familiar with was his offensive prowess. He patrolled the top power play unit in his lengthy 11-year tenure with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes and had 128 goals and 388 points to show for - including 161 power play points.

When he was moved to Vancouver, and subsequently to Florida, he wasn't necessarily needed as much and his role, ice-time, and point totals dropped. OEL had to reimagine his game to keep his production and ice-time up, but one thing that never disappeared was his ability to finish checks.

Ekman-Larsson's physicality and nastiness has been present since the beginning of his career, but was never really what the lanky Swede was known for. He was always seen as the power play quarterback, but he has amassed 1,635 hits over his career as well as 897 blocked shots.

When asked about where it came from and how long he's been playing with an edge, Ekman-Larsson was quoted as saying:

His father, Patrik, was a defenseman who compiled 86 PIMs in just 36 contests in the second tier of the Swedish league, which is generally not known for it's physicality and nastiness:

Ekman-Larsson registered 76 PIMs last year to go along with 105 hits and he's done more of the same so far with 10 PIMs and 23 hits in his first 12 games as a member of the Maple Leafs. With more ice-time and responsibility this year, don't look for the physical play to disappear either:

The 33-year-old is in the first year of a 4-year contract with the Leafs and has played exceptionally well, which is in line with why he leads the team in ATOI (21:41). He's found a good balance between his offensive game and physical play and should continue to see ample opportunities under Craig Berube for the foreseeable future.

Maple Leafs Jani Hakanpaa Takes Huge Step Towards NHL Return

Insider Provides Update on Matt Benning's Future With the Maple Leafs

John Tavares Attempting to Turn Hot Start With Leafs into New Opportunity

Mitch Marner Shocks Maple Leafs Fans By Throwing Multiple Punches During Post-Whistle Scrum

Maple Leafs to Seek Special Extension from National Hockey League?

Leafs Coach Craig Berube Directly Responsible for Auston Matthews' Quiet Start

Leafs Prospect Shows Why the Team Opted to Select Him in the First Round

Concerning Trend Emerges for the Toronto Maple Leafs and It Will Need to be Addressed Imminently

Controversial Call From the NHL Video Review Team Screws the Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner Shares Opinion on How Matthew Knies Has Handled Top Line Assignment