Oliver Ekman-Larsson was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks.
After the almost historic announcement, he now breaks the silence.
– I am surprised, he says to Aftonbladet.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson was for a few seasons one of the NHL’s most solid defenders. He played in the Arizona Coyotes, which for quite some time now has been one of the NHL’s worst teams, where he was also the captain. And there was never anything wrong with the point production. It was therefore not particularly surprising that the Vancouver Canucks showed interest, and traded for the Swede.
Fifth all time
But once in Vancouver, Ekman-Larsson has only looked like a shadow of his former self, and in the season that just ended, he was poked at times. Last week came the shocking news that no one had expected. The Canucks are in a bit of a rebuilding phase, and then you don’t want one of the highest paid players in the stands. However, Ekman-Larsson’s contract deterred many clubs from trading for him, and in the end the Canucks were left with no choice.
Vancouver opted to simply buy Ekman-Larsson out of his contract. It gives the Swede SEK 200 million spread over eight years – without having to play anything. However, the 31-year-old is free to continue playing in other NHL clubs. The announcement came as a surprise, as it is unusual in the NHL for players with such high salaries to be bought out. In fact, Ekman-Larsson is now fifth(!) on the list of the most expensive buyouts in NHL history.
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Honest words
Now the star breaks the silence about the whole thing, and he says that it was not something he had expected.
– No, it was a surprise. You have a few meetings and such after the season, so I actually didn’t think it would happen. I was surprised, he says to Aftonbladet.
However, Oliver Ekman-Larsson chooses not to give up his NHL career – quite the opposite. Now he wants to show Vancouver they were wrong.
– It’s still a bit exciting for myself to be a free agent on the first of July. I never have been. So it’s clear that it’s tense and expectant and every emotion you can think of really. But as I said before, I feel a great desire for revenge and want to show that they made the wrong decision. I want to show that I am a good player and I know what I can do.
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