NHL Rumors: 3 Potential Landing Spots for Oliver Ekman-Larsson

The Vancouver Canucks made a massive move yesterday (June 16), buying out veteran defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It was a necessary decision, as Vancouver was over the cap and OEL was performing nowhere close to his massive contract. Although this is the case, there should still be teams interested in signing the veteran to a cheap contract this summer. Let’s go over three teams who could consider signing him.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Tampa Bay Lightning stand out as a team that could consider taking a chance on Ekman-Larsson. Ian Cole is a pending unrestricted free agent, and he will need to be replaced if he walks. Furthermore, the Lightning took a chance on Kevin Shattenkirk when he was bought out a few years ago, and it worked out swimmingly. Perhaps they could do the same with OEL on a very team-friendly deal.

Carolina Hurricanes: The Carolina Hurricanes are heading the offseason with Shayne Gostisbehere and Calvin De Haan needing new deals. If Carolina decides to move on from them, they certainly could look to bring in Ekman-Larsson to help improve their depth on the left side.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pittsburgh Penguins have two left-shot defensemen pending UFAs in Brian Dumoulin and Dmitry Kulikov. Therefore, they could consider pursuing OEL if one or both of them leave through free agency.