"One of the bright spots for the Toronto Maple Leafs has been Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In four games this season, he has racked up a goal and two assists for three points. All of these points came in the Leafs ' 7-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, October 14th. This performance earned him the second star. It's the type of performance we were used to seeing from vintage Ekman-Larsson. Going into this season, not much was expected of Ekman-Larsson."
"As mentioned earlier, Ekman-Larrson is no longer the player he was at the start of his career. Last season in 77 games, he tallied four goals and 25 assists for 29 points, some of the worst totals of his career. It's a far cry from the 45-50-point player we saw when he was with the Coyotes and Canucks. His metrics weren't much better, as according to Natural Stat Trick, he had an xGF of 55.69 and a GF percentage of 54.05."
"To make matters worse, his defense started to slip, too. He posted an xGA of 58.98, which was the worst mark since the 2021-22 season. Now, Ekman-Larsson was never known for his defensive prowess, but his strong offensive play made up for it. When it looked like he could no longer produce offensively, questions grew about whether he should be in the lineup consistently."
Oliver Ekman-Larsson recorded three points in four games, all during the Leafs' 7-4 win over the Nashville Predators on October 14, earning second star recognition. Expectations entering his age-34 season were low after declining production in recent years. Last season he posted 29 points in 77 games and showed weaker advanced metrics, including an xGF of 55.69 and a GF percentage of 54.05. Defensive metrics also worsened, with an xGA of 58.98, the worst since 2021-22. If he regains earlier offensive form, he could become a lineup staple and bolster the Leafs' inconsistent offense.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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