Report: Coyotes like Bruins' prospects more than Canucks' in potential OEL trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
We have yet to see a blockbuster trade unfold since the Stanley Cup Final ended last week, but that could change given Oliver Ekman-Larsson's situation with the Arizona Coyotes.
The veteran defenseman has been linked to several teams in NHL trade rumors over the last few weeks, and the two teams that have come up the most are the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.
Ekman-Larsson has seven seasons left on his contract with the Coyotes that includes a $8.25 million salary cap hit. The deal also has a no-movement clause, so Ekman-Larsson has to approve any trade.
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According to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston on Monday, it sure sounds like the Bruins and Canucks are the only two teams (at least right now) the Coyotes captain is willing to waive his no-movement clause to join.
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"This much we know: Oliver Ekman-Larsson has almost certainly played his last game for the Arizona Coyotes, and he’d like to play his next one for either the Vancouver Canucks or Boston Bruins," Friedman and Johnston wrote.
"Attempts to get the Coyotes captain to expand the list of destinations he’d waive a no-movement clause for have proven unsuccessful."
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Friedman and Johnston also noted that, "The Coyotes like Boston’s prospects more than Vancouver’s, but, on the weekend, it seemed like the Canucks were the more motivated buyer ..."
The Bruins' top prospects are forward Jack Studnicka, forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen. Studnicka, in particular, would be tough to trade because the Bruins have very few forward prospects with high-end potential, and he could be a top-six center over the next few years.
If an Ekman-Larsson trade is going to happen with any team, it's possible it could go down this week because there are two major league events scheduled.
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The first is the 2020 NHL Draft, which begins Wednesday night with the first round and resumes Thursday with rounds two through seven. Free agency officially opens at noon on Friday.
The Bruins could soon have a huge need for a top-four defenseman if Torey Krug leaves the team in free agency. Boston general manager Don Sweeney told reporters Monday that "We haven’t had any progress as far as Torey."
Krug is the second-best defenseman expected to reach unrestricted free agency later in the week, and given his experience and impressive offensive skill set, it wouldn't be surprising if he had plenty of suitors on the open market.
