Will Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s trade value ever be higher?

That’s the dilemma Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is facing at the moment, as trade talks continue across the NHL, despite the Olympic roster freeze. Ekman-Larsson is currently representing Team Sweden, after a stellar start to the 2025-26 season, and he’s very likely being discussed in a variety of trade conversations.

Ekman-Larsson has turned back the clock this season and has been the Maple Leafs most consistent blueliner. In 57 games, OEL has recorded eight goals, and 26 assists for 34 points, which are already the most points he’s produced since he was an Arizona Coyote back in 2018-19. At this rate, the mobile two-way defenceman could break his career high of 55 points, a feat he set 10 years ago. Ekman-Larsson is like a fine wine, he’s just getting better with age.

The 34-year-old d-man is under contract for two more seasons at a very reasonable $3.5 million AAV, which certainly plays a major factor into his trade value. Top-four defencemen under $4 million AAV are hard to come by and Treliving may just have one of the best on the trade market right now. OEL does own a 16-team no-trade clause, so he’ll have some say in the matter, but with the Maple Leafs open to becoming buyers and sellers ahead of the Mar.6 trade deadline, if someone comes in with a mega-offer for Toronto’s best defenceman, Treliving is going to think long and hard about finalizing the transaction.

The one thing I will point out is the fact that moving OEL would be risky business. He’s a huge part of the Maple Leafs dressing room and shipping him out of town, especially for a future-centric package, could really rub Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and many others the wrong way. Treliving’s going to have to navigate this as a very sensitive situation, and only make a move if he’s blown out of the water with what’s offered.

Here’s five teams to keep an eye on as potential trade destinations for Ekman-Larsson:

Edmonton OilersIt feels like the Maple Leafs and Oilers have been linked to making a deal for weeks, and now we sit and wait to see who will actually be included, should they do business together before the second week of March. The Oilers are in the market to upgrade their blueline and their bottom six, and speculation continues that they have keen interest in both Ekman-Larsson, and Nicolas Roy up front.

There’s two key factors to consider here when aligning these two teams for a trade. The Oilers only have $2.8 million in deadline cap space at the moment, and they don’t own a 2026 first-round pick. No chance Treliving makes this trade unless a potential all-star is coming back the other way, or at least one first-round pick. Andrew Mangiapane is not going to cut it, folks.

If Matt Savoie or Isaac Howard are involved, do the Maple Leafs consider? What about defensive prospect Beau Akey? Again, that’s the tough sell for me. No chance Treliving should trade OEL for unestablished talent, and that’s going to take a serious toll on the dressing room, regardless if Matthews and management have ensured they are both committed to one another.San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are looking to upgrade their blueline and also find defencemen with term on their contract, as GM Mike Grier only has two defencemen signed for next season. The Sharks have exceeded expectations this season, and it’s obvious it’s only a matter of time before Macklin Celebrini carries them to playoff contention, each and every season.

Ekman-Larsson makes sense as a trade target for the Sharks as they could use his veteran presence in their dressing room, and with his versatility to play either side, he could easily slot in as a top-pair defenceman immediately. The Sharks have $9.8 million in cap space to work with leading up to the deadline, so money wouldn’t be an issue here.  It would come down to exactly what Treliving is after in trade talks.

The Sharks have two first-round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft, one would surely have to come to Toronto in this deal. What about letting Grier keep his first-round picks, throwing in Nick Robertson and perhaps another piece, and trying to pry top prospect Michael Misa to Toronto? Could be a tough sell for the Sharks, who are getting close to becoming a contender.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit feels like a perfect fit for Ekman-Larsson, as the history alone with Swedish defencemen in Motown would make this an easy transition for the veteran defenceman. He’d be going to a playoff-bound team looking to get over the hump, and a team that could very well use another steady veteran on their blue line.

The Red Wings have a boat load of cap space to work with ahead of the trade deadline, so GM Steve Yzerman has lots of flexibility in trade talks. Besides Mo Seider, the Red Wings don’t have any defencemen with over 20 points this season, so adding some more secondary scoring from the back end is something Yzerman has an appetite for. Frankly, OEL seems like a perfect fit for the Red Wings, and this one will come down to how much ‘in-division tax’ Treliving puts on the price tag for his best defenceman.

Detroit has a few NHL ready prospects and some good young talent on the roster, but moving OEL for ‘potential’ is again, very risky business considering Matthews and Nylander have no interest going through a rebuild. This needs to be re-tooling on the fly for Treliving, and if he’s going to move OEL, he should be focusing on a defenceman that’s capable of running the Maple Leafs power play as soon as next season. Not exactly – easy to find.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been on the hunt for an impactful two-way d-man ever since Brent Burns left for Colorado, and so far, they haven’t been able to finalize a deal. Carolina is once again in the mix this season thanks to a stellar, out-of-nowhere season from goaltender Brandon Bussi.

At 36-15-6 and atop the Metropolitan Division, GM Eric Tulsky will surely be adding some needle-movers for the Hurricanes, as they’ve had troubles landing gamebreakers to their lineup for their last few playoff runs and have come up short on the organization’s expectations. Adding OEL would give them a top-four steady defenceman, who can play in all situations, and effectively join the rush when needed. The ‘Canes need more production from their blueline, so these two teams could emerge as trade partners ahead of Mar.6.

Carolina has a 2026 first-round pick, but they’ve already moved their second, and third-rounders, so you wonder if they really want to enter next draft with their first pick coming in the fourth round. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is available, but the Maple Leafs should steer clear. Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven’s extensions kick in next season, so they’re not available. While Carolina makes sense as a destination, a trade between these two teams could involve a third party.New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have been busy on the trade market this season, and word is, they won’t be slowing down anytime soon. GM Mathieu Darche is going into this deadline aggressive, and with over $6 million in cap space, they have the means to add Ekman-Larsson to their back end.

The Isles have added pending free-agent Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat already this year, with Palat having next season on his contract as well, it’s obvious Darche is open to just about any move that he feels is going to make this team better, regardless of contract status. With OEL’s style of play and over 1000 games under his belt, you know he’d be a great influence on Matthew Schaefer, which could certainly appeal to the Isles.

New York has two first-round picks, so it makes you think Darche could be open to moving one of them. However, if the Maple Leafs move Ekman-Larsson to the Islanders, they should focus in on Cal Ritchie, the 21-year-old Oakville, ON native, who has recorded 15 points in 41 games in his first extended taste of NHL hockey. Only problem is that Ritchie’s likely too pricey for Darche’s taste, regardless of how well OEL has been playing this season.

In summary, the Maple Leafs are open to being both buyers and sellers ahead of this season’s trade deadline, and their best trade asset is Ekman-Larsson. However, the implications on the dressing room have to be considered here, as moving the veteran defenceman out for future considerations is going to leave a very sour taste in a lot of player’s mouths.

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