Ekman-Larsson was 'surprised' by buyout from Canucks

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had no inclination that he was going to be bought out by the Vancouver Canucks in the offseason.

"I was surprised," Ekman-Larsson told The Athletic's Thomas Drance. "We had exit meetings, and I didn't see it coming."

Ekman-Larsson had four years left on his contract with an $8.25-million cap hit, resulting in the largest compliance buyout in the salary-cap era in terms of total value. The Canucks are paying him $17 million over the next eight years to play elsewhere, per CapFriendly.

The veteran blue-liner inked a one-year, $2.25-million pact with the Florida Panthers as a free agent in the offseason.

Ekman-Larsson was one of the game's top defensemen during his 11 seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, receiving downballot Norris Trophy votes on five occasions. He was traded to Vancouver in 2021, but his two-year stint with the Canucks was marred by injuries and inconsistent play.

"Look, we loved living in Vancouver and I loved playing for the Canucks," Ekman-Larsson said. "So it was disappointing. Obviously there were a couple of tough years, but I don't feel like it was all bad like everybody else does.

"There were ups and downs and we didn't make the playoffs, we were struggling as a team, there were a lot of changes. It wasn't easy, but I don't have a bad thing to say about the city of Vancouver or the organization. It's just part of the business. You get disappointed when things like that happen and you're not ready for it."

Ekman-Larsson is thriving with his new team. He's recorded two points in four games, and, with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour out to begin the year, OEL is logging huge minutes, averaging a team-high 25:31 per contest.

The Canucks and Panthers square off in Sunrise on Saturday. Ekman-Larsson will make his return to Vancouver on Dec. 14.