Pretty much any deal that will involve the Arizona Coyotes trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson is predicated on them retaining some of his contract.
The Coyotes captain is a decent player, but has regressed in recent years and hasn’t provided anything close to the $8.25 million annual cap hit that is attached to him.
Last year, Arizona seemed hellbent on offloading Ekman-Larsson, who has trade protection. He made clear he only wanted to go to the Boston Bruins or Vancouver Canucks, but nothing ultimately came to pass.
Perhaps this note from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli on Tuesday explains why.
“The Coyotes were barely willing to move the needle then, sources suggesting a willingness to shave off $1.25 million or so per season, but even that was not firm. Will Armstrong be willing to retain more now? That is the key to making a deal happen, not just in Boston but anywhere else.
Ekman-Larsson, with the way he has played, is not even a $7 million player, and one has to think that could’ve torpedoed talks with the Bruins and Canucks — especially when at that point there still were seven years left on the deal.
Perhaps Ekman-Larsson is a change-of-scenery guy, but most general managers wouldn’t be willing to risk $7-8.25 million of their cap space on someone you hope returns to elite form.
If the Coyotes realize they either have to significantly lower their asking price or retain more money, then maybe the 29-year-old gets moved this offseason. Otherwise, that albatross contract likely is stuck in the desert a while longer.
