The Toronto Maple Leafs could be facing a new injury concern regarding defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The veteran blueliner did not finish Thursday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, following a hit from Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Lauzon pounded Ekman-Larsson into the boards, practically wrestling him to the ice. The play did not draw a penalty, much to the chagrin of the Maple Leafs bench.
No penalty on the play.
The 35-year-old skated in 26 shifts totaling 15:22 of ice time.
Following the game, coach Jim Hiller stated that he was not concerned about Ekman-Larsson, though no further information was provided.
The Swedish blueliner has averaged about 16:43 of ice time in five games this season. He’s yet to register a point.
Ekman-Larsson has been a staple on the third pairing for the Maple Leafs with Troy Stecher. However, an injury would force Hiller to reconsider his bottom-pairing moving forward. If Ekman-Larsson can’t play on Saturday night in Colorado, former Avalanche Nick Blankenburg will likely take his place alongside Stecher.
Ekman-Larsson Injury Creates an Opportunity for Blankenburg
The Maple Leafs signed Blankenburg this past offseason to a Professional Tryout (PTO), hoping he would stick with the team.
The 28-year-old not only made the club, but he also earned a one-year, $1.4 million contract. While he hasn’t seen any official game action this season, an injury to Ekman-Larsson would open the door for Blankenburg to show what he can do.
It would also be an ironic twist of fate to see Blankenburg make his season debut against this former team. The Avalanche acquired Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators at last season’s NHL trade deadline. He appeared in 12 regular-season contests following the injury to Cale Makar. Blankenburg also saw action in five postseason games, scoring one nifty goal against the Minnesota Wild.
If Blankenburg can prove he belongs, the Maple Leafs won’t be rushing Ekman-Larsson back into the lineup anytime soon.
Maple Leafs May Need to Call Someone Up
If Ekman-Larsson should miss significant time, the Maple Leafs might need to call someone up to fill the seventh defenseman role. While the likeliest candidates could be Marshall Rifai or Philippe Myers, the Leafs may want to give a younger blueliner like Ben Danford a look.
Danford was Toronto’s first-round pick in 2024, and could warrant a cup of coffee at the NHL level this season.
The 20-year-old had a decent training camp and was in the mix for a spot right up until the end. However, the organization chose to send him down to the AHL Marlies to get some more regular playing time.
Nevertheless, Ekman-Larsson’s injury may open up some playing time for the Maple Leafs’ top defensive prospect.
If that’s the case, Danford could get some reps with Stecher or Blankenburg on the third pairing. The key here will be the timing of the move. After Colorado on Saturday, the Leafs will head to Salt Lake City to face the Mammoth. Perhaps Toronto might want to wait until after that game to call up Danford instead of having him make his NHL debut on the road.
Whatever happens will all depend on what update the club gets on Ekman-Larsson’s health moving forward.
Maple Leafs Hit With Injury Concern Involving Ekman-Larsson