Oliver Ekman-Larsson won't play again this season because of a left ankle injury the defenseman sustained Feb. 15.
"No, I don't think so," coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. "He's off the cast, he's walking now, and he's really worked hard the last 3-4 weeks and this is a big summer for him."
Ekman-Larsson was injured trying to make a hit in the first period of a game against the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old had 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 54 games this season but was minus-24, the worst rating on the Canucks (31-34-5), who are 16 points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Ekman-Larsson was traded to Vancouver by the Arizona Coyotes on July 24, 2021. He had 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) and was plus-5 in 79 games in 2021-22, his first season with the Canucks, but struggled defensively this season. He has four seasons remaining on the eight-year, $66 million contract ($8.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Coyotes on July 1, 2018.
"I know a lot of people count him out," said Tocchet, who coached Ekman-Larsson for four seasons (2017-2021) in Arizona. "I got a feeling he's going to have a really good year. There's a gleam in his eye. I can tell he's going to use this as motivation. Things haven't gone his way a bunch of years now and I think this is something he's going to take this summer to another level. I really believe it." -- Kevin Woodley
