Canucks: 3 players that need to bounce back in 2021-22
Bounce back candidate #3: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
New Canucks defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson makes this list despite not being with the team last season. The 6’2″, 30-year-old Swedish defenceman will be arriving in Vancouver with large expectations, after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in a blockbuster draft day trade.
After signing a massive eight year, $66 million contract extension following the 2018-19 season, Ekman-Larsson struggled to maintain his stellar play.
Albeit on a porous Arizona team, Ekman-Larsson’s game regressed both offensively and defensively, and ultimately led to him being shipped out of town in the Coyotes rebuild just two years after signing his contract.
Given his salary commitment and previous seasons displays, the Canucks are hoping Ekman-Larsson can help steady the ship on their backend, whilst also reviving his own game on what should be a better roster than Arizona’s.
Over the length of his career, the heavy-hitting blueliner has averaged north of 23:00 minutes of ice time per game, and has contributed on both special teams units. If the Canucks plan to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference next season, then Ekman-Larsson needs to bounce back and return to the form he had early on in his NHL career.
Next. More on Canucks' prospect Danila Klimovich. dark
What are your thoughts on this bounce-back list? Who do you think needs to perform well in order for the Canucks to reach their expectations next season? Let us know in the comments!