Former NHL star comes clean on his expectations for Oliver Ekman-Larsson following move to Panthers

On July 1, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was signed as a free agent by the Florida Panthers to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

Ekman-Larsson is an experienced defenseman who has played in the league for over a decade. He played for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season before becoming a free agent after the Canucks chose to buy out the remaining four years of his contract.

Ekman-Larsson will begin a new chapter in his career with the Florida Panthers, and his former Coyote teammate Devan Dubnyk is excited about the move and shared his thoughts on what Ekman-Larsson will bring to the Panthers lineup.

Speaking on NHL Network, Dubnyk said:

"He was awesome to play with. He's a great guy. He's a great player. He’s so smooth, slick puck moving. Really good from the point like, especially on the powerplay. I think there is a couple of clip in there, but he's really good at just getting that wrist or through from the powerplay you always had to when you were in the net.

"You didn't know when he had the puck on a stick you had to always be ready because he had that slick wrist or that he could just fire in there with good velocity. So I think this is a great pickup by Florida. I mean, it was known he's a great hockey player. They got him at a good price as well."

A glance into the NHL career of Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Vancouver Canucks v Montreal Canadiens

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the No. 6 overall pick for the Phoenix Coyotes (now Arizona Coyotes) in the 2009 NHL Draft. He made his league debut during the 2010-11 season.

Ekman-Larsson played the majority of the season with the Coyotes, In 2021-22, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks where he played for two seasons. The 32-year-old has played in 902 career games, accumulating 439 points (135 games and 304 assists).

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is known for his exceptional defensive skills. The Florida Panthers have already made great moves this offseason to bolster their blue line. The signing of Ekman-Larsson has only strengthened their blue line even more.