Blockbuster trade: Canucks give 1st-round pick to Coyotes for Ekman-Larsson, Garland
It cost him a first-round pick but Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning believes he made his team better with a blockbuster trade ahead of the NHL entry draft Friday.
The Canucks sent the No. 9 selection in this year's draft to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for right-winger Conor Garland and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The trade also includes Vancouver forwards Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson and Antoine Roussel, the Canucks' second-round pick in 2022 and its seventh-round pick in 2023.
“We didn't take lightly moving that ninth overall pick in the draft. That was a hard decision to make. But we just looked as everything we could accomplish by doing it,” Benning said.
The trade will see the two clubs swap some big salaries. Ekman-Larsson has six-years left on his deal with an annual cap hit of US$8.25 million, though Arizona will retain 12 per cent of his salary. Meanwhile, Beagle, Eriksson and Roussel will combine for a cap hit of US$12 million next season.
The move creates some cap flexibility for the Canucks, Benning said.
“I just feel like our team needs to take the next step and adding a top-pairing defenceman and a top-six forward is something we talked about that was on our wish list to start off,” he said. “So to be able to do that plus get rid of some contracts, I'm happy we got the deal done.”
The 25-year-old Garland, who is a restricted free agent, has been a solid forward for the Coyotes since entering the league in 2018-19. The native of Scituate, Mass., put up 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 49 games last season.
Benning called Garland a player with a relentless work ethic that will wear off on his new teammates.
“He's a guy that makes other players around him better,” the GM said. “So I'm really excited to be able to acquire a top-six forward who can come in and help us right now. And he's still a young player. I think this is a real good move for our group here.”
Garland said he was sitting at home Friday when he saw news of the imminent trade on Twitter. He texted Ekman-Larsson to check the veracity of the reports, and learned they were both about to relocate.
The pair are looking forward to playing in Vancouver, Garland said.
“There's a lot of excitement right now. It's really the first time I'm going into the year and there's a real shot at competing for a Stanley Cup,” he said.
“That's not disrespect to Arizona, that's just the state we were in. We were battling for a spot every year and this year it feels like we're coming in with high expectations and me and Oliver are really excited to come in and play with this young core and help them get better.”
Ekman-Larsson, 30, has spent his entire 11-season NHL career with the Coyotes after being selected sixth overall in the 2009 draft.
The Swedish blueliner's production has waned in recent years, though. He registered 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 46 appearances last year.
Benning said Ekman-Larsson was looking for a fresh start and is still a good skater and a good player. He expects the veteran defenceman to play a lot of minutes in Vancouver and be a good mentor to the team's budding stars.
“I think overall, what he's going to bring to our whole team is going to be immense as far as what he does in the dressing room to mentor our young players to what he does on the ice,” Benning said.
Arizona lost its first-round pick in this year's draft when the NHL sanctioned the team for violating the league's combine testing policy in 2020.
Benning added that he's working to recover picks both for this year's draft and for the future.
He still has a lot of work to do as this year's iteration continues Saturday with the second round. Vancouver still holds the No. 41, 137, 140, 169, 178 and 201 picks this year.
It's the second year in a row that the Canucks won't have a first-round pick. Last year, Vancouver's first selection came in the third round when it took Finnish defenceman Joni Jurmo 82nd overall.
Earlier this week, Vancouver dealt its third-round selection (No. 73) to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Jason Dickinson ahead of the expansion draft roster freeze last week.
The club was handed the ninth pick after finishing the pandemic-condensed season last in the all-Canadian North Division with a 23-29-4 record.
It was a tough campaign for Vancouver, which suffered a COVID-19 outbreak in late March that saw 21 players and four coaching staff test positive for the virus.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.