Maple Leafs, Coyotes have yet to discuss Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade, per reports

The Arizona Coyotes are reportedly standing pat, for now, with top-tier defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs “haven’t had a single conversation” regarding Arizona’s top blue liner, despite whispers of movement from hockey fans.

The Athletic columnist Pierre LeBrun followed up on McKenzie’s report, stating that Coyotes general manager John Chayka has said “[Ekman-Larsson]’s not available” and conversations with other NHL GMs haven’t gone any further than that.

With the trajectory of both the Coyotes and Maple Leafs, it’s no wonder the trade rumors have started this early in the season.

For the Coyotes, the season is almost effectively over for them after starting the first month and a half of the year with a 4-15-3 record with 11 points on the season. On the flip side, the Maple Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division with a 14-7-0 record this year as their climb to the postseason is just getting started.

Given that one team is on the rise while another is looking to salvage pieces for next year, the Coyotes and Maple Leafs seem like a fine match on paper. Toronto needs a good, experienced defenseman — which the Coyotes have — while Arizona needs more offensive talent to fill in the gaps — which the Maple Leafs have.

Thanks to the recent reports, however, Ekman-Larsson is clearly off the table in any sort of trade talks the Coyotes may be having at the moment. The 26-year-old is the Coyotes’ cornerstone piece, and any return less than substantial would be an immediate loss for Arizona. Ekman-Larsson is second on the team with 13 points in 22 games, and overall is a career 50.3 CF% player, according to Hockey-Reference. His stability on the back end for Arizona has been one of the only constants as the Coyotes have ridden this roller coaster over the last few seasons.

There are, as McKenzie puts it, slight concerns with Ekman-Larsson’s future status in Arizona given the team’s arena rights situation and the talent of the team as a whole. It’s much of the same battle the New York Islanders are facing with captain John Tavares in getting him to re-sign with the team next season.

Then, there’s this segment of McKenzie’s report that states that we shouldn’t be so dismissive of the trade rumor.

I never gave it much thought beyond that — until late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, when someone merely cautioned me that there could be something to it, that I shouldn’t be so quick to so be dismissive, that an OEL-to-Toronto-for-William-Nylander balloon was out there floating in the rumoursphere.

However, considering the factors — Chayka’s insistence that Ekman-Larsson is unavailable, Toronto’s staunch stance on attempting to win with the young core they have, and that no other credible sources have come forward — both McKenzie and LeBrun have ruled out the trade possibility, for now.

Of course, things can change down the road as the season progresses and talks continue, but as of this moment it doesn’t seem like Ekman-Larsson is going anywhere.