Maple Leafs get a trade offer they can't refuse for Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Maple Leafs get a trade offer they can't refuse for Oliver Ekman-Larsson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to decide by the March 6 NHL trade deadline which players they actually want to send away.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be in the rumors, and if the latest reported offer for OEL is real, the Leafs ought to go for it.

Bob Stauffer, who is the radio color commentator for the Edmonton Oilers, said Friday that the Leafs have an offer on the table for Ekman-Larsson that would bring a first-round pick back to Toronto.

It's not clear what team Stauffer was suggesting might be making this offer, but it's intriguing whether it's Edmonton or another club.

The Oilers have been linked to Ekman-Larsson already. NHL insider Elliotte Friemdan, on his podcast, has suggested that the Oilers could line up a trade for the 34-year old defenseman.

Ekman-Larsson would give the Oilers a player who beat them in the Stanley Cup in 2023-24 with the Florida Panthers before joining the Leafs for these last two seasons.

It sounds like the veteran defenseman would much prefer to stay put, but that might be tough to carry out. Leafs reporter Nick Alberga posted this on X:

"We'll see what happens, but he doesn't want to go anywhere. He loves Toronto. He wants to stay in Toronto. He wants to win in Toronto."

This season, Ekman-Larsson has eight goals and 27 assists (35 points) in 59 games.

At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs need to replenish their future outlook, and getting a first-round pick would help do that.

Ekman-Larsson, at this point, doesn't seem like he'll still be at his peak ability for the Leafs' turnaround, as his decline has likely already started at 34 years of age.

Toronto would be wise not to overthink it and take the best offer they can get for OEL.