On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
Chris Nichols of Fan Rag Sports: Elliotte Friedman was on Sportnet 590 and was talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs. He believes the Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello is waiting for the right piece before make a move.
“… Why did Oliver Ekman-Larsson rumors begin earlier this year? Because 1) Arizona was in Toronto. Everybody knows we like to create rumors as much as anyone else does. And No. 2, people look at his situation, they say, ‘Will he ever become available?’
“And I think if he ever did become available, A) Toronto is a team that could make that trade. And B) he’d be a fit with exactly with what they’re looking for.”
believes that Leafs have a list of players they are interested in and if they become available, they’ll attempt to acquire them.
“If it comes down to the deadline and none of those top wish list guys are available, maybe they go get someone else. But I do think that they will strike – I don’t think it’s necessarily wait close to the deadline, I think they’ll strike whenever they can on the guys they want.”
doesn’t think the Coyotes want to trade OEL and that they’ll try to re-sign him.
On the Arizona Coyotes …
Craig Custance of The Athletic: Coyotes GM John Chayka on the possibility of trading 2019 free agent defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
“Nope. None. Zero,” he said of his chances of trading Ekman-Larsson. “For us, it’s pretty simple. Oliver has invested a lot into this team, continues to want to make it work. He’s one of the top defensemen in the league and, I guess, is expecting to be paid that way and that’s fine with me.”
Chayka adds that teams aren’t calling him either. Initially, there were a few calls, but there were just told, “He’s not available.”
Ekman-Larsson’s agent, Kevin Epp.
“There’s a lot going on. It’s a tough organization, they’ve had ownership change a number of times now,” his agent, Kevin Epp, told The Athletic. “Oliver does see the vision but still, at some point, you have to see the results. You have to see things going in the right direction.”
Epp said that he and Ekman-Larsson have already talked about his pending 2019 free agency.