The Edmonton Oilers are in full win-now mode and it shows. After acquiring Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, they are still in the hunt for an offensive defenceman. Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous reports linking the Oilers to Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
On paper, it makes a lot of sense. They need another defenceman who can help generate offence, and Ekman-Larsson can do that. However, there are two things standing in their way. First, the asking price. And second, his no-trade clause (NTC) that allows him to veto a trade to Edmonton if they are one of the 15 teams on his list. Well, according to Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers will need to convince him to waive his NTC if they want to acquire his services. So, let’s look at what a deal could look like if they were able to get him to waive.
Will Ekman-Larsson Waive His NTC?
In the grand scheme of things, trying to convince a player to join a team with the best hockey player in the world isn’t going to be overly hard. Unfortunately, there is more to it than that. They need to take into consideration the fact that Ekman-Larsson may simply want to stay with the Maple Leafs.
Even if Toronto does get a trade package that they like enough to agree to the trade, he can still veto the deal. After Friedman’s report, most hockey fans are operating under the assumption that he does have the Oilers on his 15-team no-trade list. Here’s what Friedman had to say.
“I think the other guy they’ve looked at is Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Toronto. He’s a lefty, but he can play the right side. I think, though, Ekman-Larsson has control over a trade to Edmonton, so they would have to convince him to waive it. But I think defencemen like that are the kinds of players that Edmonton is looking for.”
Ultimately, nothing happens until the Maple Leafs either give him and his agent permission to talk to the Oilers about waiving it, or they agree to a trade and then bring the idea to him and he agrees to join them. The biggest hurdle for the Oilers is that he carries term. So it isn’t just a few months. It would be two more seasons after this one. That said, if there was a deal in place, it would be interesting to see what the Maple Leafs would get from the Oilers.
Related: Insider Suggest Maple Leafs Open to Moving More Players at Trade Deadline
Based on previous reports from David Pagnotta, that suggested the Oilers would need to part with Isaac Howard in order to get Ekman-Larsson out of Toronto. Even if it was Quinn Hutson or Connor Clattenburg, it would be a good high-end prospect in return. The deal would likely also need to include a draft pick in the first two rounds, and maybe a roster player such as Ty Emberson to help make the money work. Regardless, there is a growing sense that the Maple Leafs could be willing to sell more assets than initially expected. And with the Oilers in win-now mode with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their primes, they need to buy as many assets as they can afford.
