Arizona Coyotes: Ekman-Larsson Wins Player Of Game Belt Against Edmonton

The Arizona Coyotes snuck out of Rogers Place with a victory, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a big reason why.

A few of the more prominent Arizona Coyotes players have been absent on the scoreboard in recent weeks.

Shane Doan. Anthony Duclair. Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Doan broke his slump against Edmonton on Friday night with a goal.

Ekman-Larsson and Duke finally nabbed an assist each on Sunday against the same team.

It was OEL’s first point in five games and only his second in his past nine outings. He hasn’t scored a goal in 12 contests.

That doesn’t mean he’s been non-existent, however, and the home-and-home against the Oilers was proof.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was given the player of the game belt by Max Domi and the Arizona Coyotes because for large stretches of both games he shut down and erased the impact of NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid.

OEL often gets the plaudits for his offensive game.

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He’s scored 20 or more goals in the past two seasons, and chipped in a team high 55 points last year despite Max Domi nipping at his heels.

Despite the twelve game scoring drought he’s mired in, OEL already has five goals this season.

None of that should detract from recognizing that he is pretty solid defensively as well.

Whether he’s smothering Connor McDavid or trying to handle a more established veteran like Anze Kopitar or Ryan Getzlaf, both the eye test and the underlying stats back up the fact that Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one of the best defenders in the National Hockey League.

It’s fair to wonder what the 25-year-old could accomplish on a stronger team.

OEL hasn’t had that kind of support since he was a youngster himself.

This season and last have seen him play mentor and clean-up to a rotating band of defensive pairings and holes on the back end. The only steadying point has been his regular pairing with Connor Murphy, whom himself is still growing and attempting to mold himself into a viable top-four defender.

Having OEL locked up for the next two seasons will also go a long way towards developing the next wave of Arizona Coyotes defenders.

Next: Radim Vrbata Is Not Washed Up. He's Still Scoring At 35.

Jakob Chychrun, Kyle Wood, and Anthony DeAngelo all have some offensive flair to their game and having Ekman-Larsson to look to will be a great measuring stick.

They can see what’s possible with hard work, and also get a reminder that there’s more to playing defenseman in the NHL than hanging out in the offensive zone.