HOCKEY TRADE RUMOURS | NHL TEAM | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

High-profile target slips away from Maple Leafs before signing Ekman-Larsson

Before acquiring Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Toronto Maple Leafs came close to securing another significant name in the off-season signings.

After a disappointing exit from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving faced a crucial off-season with significant adjustments needed. His efforts have started strong with signings like Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Jani Hakanpaa, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Yet, before landing OEL, another high-profile acquisition was almost in the works.

As reported by James Mirtle of The Athletic, the team was on the verge of acquiring Matt Roy from the Los Angeles Kings before he ultimately chose the Washington Capitals in free agency.

Understandably, Maple Leafs fans are not reacting positively to the recent news, following a string of disappointing performances before a more successful season with the Florida Panthers.

mirtle on the leaf report says the leafs were really, really close to getting matt roy (would've been instead of OEL) and i'm going to turn into the joker

Roy eventually signed with Washington for just under $6 million AAV. According to the report, the team was deterred by that figure, choosing the less expensive but perceived less reliable option in Ekman-Larsson.

"If it doesn't look bad in Year 1, it'll certainly look bad in Year 2 or Year 3... Ekman-Larsson is not gonna be easy to disappear and I would be concerned that they're going to play him higher in the lineup than the third pair and we know what that looks like because it didn't work in Vancouver. That's the really problematic deal for me and I think it happened because they got close on some other names and backed away over where the price was going and I wondered if they could have spent that money somewhere else."

Only time will tell if this risk will pay dividends for the Maple Leafs. At present, their defense could have been significantly bolstered with Roy. Therefore, Treliving and the front office are banking on Ekman-Larsson performing at his 2023-24 level rather than his two-year tenure in Vancouver.

Previously on Hockey Trade Rumours

Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins linked to recent Stanley Cup champion

The reason why Connor McDavid snubbed the Conn Smythe Trophy revealed

Trade finalized between Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks

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3 JUILLET \| 262 ANSWERS High-profile target slips away from Maple Leafs before signing Ekman-Larsson Is Oliver Ekman-Larsson poised to become a successful signing for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
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