Bruins, Red Wings named as 2 landing spots for Maple Leafs’ trade candidate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NHL trade deadline is closing quickly, arriving on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
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Before then, the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs are all expected to be active — Boston and Detroit as buyers, and Toronto as a seller.
That could set at least one of those squads up to make a deal with the Leafs, and it sounds like one might be in the works.
TSN’s Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network that he sees Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s market shaping up for a deal from Toronto to either Boston or Detroit.
OEL is 34 years old but a proven winner, having earned a Stanley Cup title in 2023-24 with the Florida Panthers.
He also just wrapped up playing for Sweden at the Olympics, so he’s still viewed as being near the top of his game.
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Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recently wrote that Ekman-Larsson would be the logical defenseman for the Leafs to deal before the deadline.
“The Leafs are asking for a lot in an Ekman-Larsson deal,” Kypreos wrote. “It will be tricky because of his age, and chances are if you’re a contending team, you’re not necessarily looking for a top-four defenceman, so what is the market for OEL? The Oilers do need a top-four addition, which is why they have been connected to Ekman-Larsson. If Toronto moves a notable defenceman, it’ll be him.”
The Red Wings were reportedly in on Tyler Myers, who instead ended up sent from the Canucks to the Stars.
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The Bruins have surprised a bit this season, but they seem ready to make an upgrade or two to make a run at some postseason noise.
Ekman-Larsson would fit with either team, and the Maple Leafs have to be happy about a potential bidding war that could drive up his price a bit.
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