Arizona Coyotes 2015-16 Player Grades: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
With the Arizona Coyotes 2015-16 season complete, it’s time to dive into each player’s performance and make a final tally on how they fared this season.
There’s only one Oliver Ekman-Larsson and thankfully he wears #23 for the Arizona Coyotes.
A+. . D. Arizona Coyotes. OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON
Where do we begin with OEL? For better or worse, he was the majority of the Coyotes’ defense last season.
If Ekman-Larsson was off the ice, fans were holding their breath as the opposition rushed into the Yotes’ zone and pummeled Mike Smith and Louis Domingue.
He makes the offense go. Not in the way gas makes a car go, oh no.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the gas, the wheels, and the whole damn engine to boot.
He’s twenty-five-years-old and he’s unflappable.
OEL scored 8 game-winning goals for the Arizona Coyotes last season, tied for 4th best in the league. Since coming into the league in 2010-11, he’s scored 24 such goals.
That’s good for 35th across the league in that time frame, and first among defenseman.
On top of winning games like he’s Kobe, Ekman-Larsson’s all-around game is nigh unassailable.
Whichever end of the ice you want to debate about, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the gold standard for the Arizona Coyotes in 2015-16.
Hell, he’s the gold standard for many of the defenseman in the league.
He led the team in points, tied for first with Max Domi in assists, and was second on the team in goals behind Shane Doan.
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Defensively, OEL got the task of helping Connor Murphy grow from depth defenseman to becoming a viable top-four pairing defenseman. The two ultimately worked out well together, but beyond them the pickings were mighty slim.
When people consider elite players in the National Hockey League, #23 is often absent from the discussion. Not because he’s not good enough, but because he plays in the desert for a team that has been in the doghouse for several seasons.
That’s unfortunate for a player as talented and impactful as OEL.
He deserves some accolades, serious Norris Trophy consideration, and probably even more respect from his own fan base.
As fans, we don’t always give Ekman-Larsson his due. He lacks the tenure of Shane Doan, but I’d argue he deserves a similar level of respect and adulation. He’s a bona fide star.
OEL has played just six seasons.
Despite that, he’s already one of the best Coyotes to have laced them up. He’s only twenty-five and hasn’t even reached his peak, which is scary for Pacific Division rivals.
Next: Each Prospects Odds of Making the Coyotes' 2016-17 NHL Roster
Oliver Ekman-Larsson will (likely) become the next captain of the Arizona Coyotes when Doaner retires. He’ll be the face that leads this franchise back into relevance.
In the meantime, he’ll continue putting up 20-goal seasons and being the foundation that the future of this franchise is built upon.