Elliotte Friedman links Maple Leafs' Ekman-Larsson to Canadian rival

Coming into the 2025/26 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs needed to make some adjustments without Mitch Marner, but with a team still loaded full of talent, they were a team optimistic of their chances at another Stanley Cup Playoffs run.

Unfortunately, due to some injuries and inconsistencies, this is a team that simply hasn't competed at the highest level this year, as they now sit at 27-23-9 on the year, good for last place in the highly competitive Atlantic Division.

With the trade deadline just a few days away, the team are expected to gauge interest in some of their players, with blue liner Oliver Ekman-Larsson drawing some immense attention.

Now, according to Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, it's a Canadian rival out West that could look to pounce and add OEL, with the Oilers making perfect sense for the veteran, puck-moving defenseman.

At 34-years of age, Ekman-Larsson already has one Stanley Cup victory under his belt with the Panthers, and with 35 points in 59 games this season, he could bring that offensive punch to an Oilers blue line desperate to be fixed.

While the Oilers have very little to offer teams in trade talks, they're a team looking to upgrade at the deadline, and if they see OEL as a key piece on their blue line for another shot at the Stanley Cup, he would certainly represent a major upgrade for the team.

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