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Arizona Coyotes Captain OEL Plays Tonight at GRA vs Blues

By Scott Thompson

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 11: Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 11, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Coyotes 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 11: Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 11, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Coyotes 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Coyotes will have their Captain on the ice tonight when the Desert Dogs host the St. Louis Blues in the first of three crucial games at GRA.

It seems like forever ago that Arizona Coyotes fans last saw Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson healthy and on the ice, but he is finally in the lineup for the Yotes this evening.

It was inevitable that defensive adjustments would have to be made upon OEL’s return, and it appears that the Captain will be replacing Jason Demers in the defensive pairings. Only time will tell whether or not OEL is ready for the physical play of the heavy hitting Blues, but as a seasoned veteran who knows how to “read” his body, I doubt that he would contemplate playing if there was any doubt about his physical capabilities.

Ekman-Larsson is also smart enough to know that any tinkering with the lineup when it isn’t “broken” involves the coaching staff deciding whether or not lineup changes make a team stronger and better against a certain team or group of players.

There’s a delicate balance involved in trying to achieve better team play overall and not destroying effective team/line chemistry by changing the status quo for a single player that has been sidelined due to injury. In this case that particular player is the team’s captain, who has plenty of experience, skill, and, according to his teammates, is an effective leader on and off the ice.

In this scenario I believe it would be prudent (and wise) to allow OEL to play while the team is on a roll and playing more disciplined and effective hockey on both ends of the ice. If Ekman-Larsson is a bit rusty, what better time to get him back into the flow by playing with line mates that are playing well and covering for one another? Surely OEL knows that he needs to “get with the program” and produce at both ends of the ice to increase his ice time and value to the organization.

Let’s give our Captain a mulligan and a deserving chance to defend his “D” zone, zip pin-point passes through the neutral zone and into the “O” zone, and shoot more. What occurred last season and beyond, good and bad, is yesterday’s news. I ask Coyotes fans to support Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson when he takes the ice tonight and onward. I think he would appreciate it – and he deserves it.

Let’s go Coyotes!

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