Canucks acquire Ekman-Larsson in blockbuster trade involving Eriksson
The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Conor Garland from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forwards Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel, as well as the ninth overall pick in Friday's draft, a second-round pick in 2022, and a seventh-rounder in 2023, the teams announced Friday.
Arizona also retained 12% of Ekman-Larsson's contract, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Ekman-Larsson, 30, has six years remaining on his contract, which carries an average annual value of $8.25 million. The Coyotes captain managed three goals and 21 assists in 46 games last season. He has 388 points in 769 career contests.
Garland, 25, is an impending restricted free agent. He's coming off a career season, scoring 12 goals and adding 27 assists in 49 games.
Connor Garland, acquired by VAN, is a good goalscoring top six winger. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/fkZmQbfjTq
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 23, 2021
The Canucks' trio of forwards have massively underwhelmed since signing lucrative deals. Eriksson is in the final season of a six-year, $36-million pact he signed in 2016. Roussel and Beagle each have one year remaining on their contracts with a $3-million cap hit.
Vancouver sheds some salary with the deal but still has to sign stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes to new contracts.
Arizona has been stockpiling assets by taking on contracts from other teams, also acquiring Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and New York Islanders forward Andrew Ladd. The club now has three second-round picks in this year's draft and five second-rounders in 2022.