Stay Tuned!

I posted this on HfBoards, but I guess not all of you come here directed from there. I just wanted to say that NO, this site is not dead.

I am a University student, and part being a student is of course, exams. Now is that wonderful time of year that I spend the majority of my time studying, hence my lack of articles recently.

However, before I took this unofficial break from writing, I had started 4 articles that you can look for in the week following Christmas. Keep checking back, and things will be back in full swing before you know it.

P.S. If you have any requests for an article, you can PM me on HfBoards(umwoz) or leave a comment below this post.

Thanks!

Prospect Profile: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Photo property of www.sportsnet.ca

Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Height: 6'2
Weight: 190 lbs
Pro Team: Phoenix Coyotes
Draft: 2009 - 6th Overall

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a prospect that started out good, and never stopped impressing. Whether it was in the season leading up to his draft, his international play, or even his second season in the Allsvenskan(Sweden's top farm league), "OEL" has taken it up a notch at every level. Fans from Phoenix and all around the NHL are truly excited to see how the mobile Swedish blue-liner performs at the next level, and it appears that he may be an instrumental part of the Coyotes franchise for years to come.

Ekman-Larsson began his first season with Leksands IF ranked 8th among international skaters by central scouting, but a strong year would eventually improve that ranking. He finished off the season with 17 points in 39 games, but the stand out stat was his +/- which was an amazing +44(leading the entire league). During this season Oliver Ekman-Larsson showed off his multi-faceted game, quarterbacking the powerplay with a deadly shot from the point, while his neutral zone play and instincts were second to none. Many of those who watched his game weren't hesitant to call him the best defenseman on the team, even as a 17 year old.

His strong season led to Ekman-Larsson being a shoe in for Sweden's U18 team, where he continued to show off his well rounded game. What surprised a lot of spectators in Fargo, North Dakota was how his game didn't seem to make any drastic changes while moving to the smaller ice surface, although he admitted the increased difficulty. Ekman-Larsson continued to show off his outstanding skating ability, not just for a defenseman but for any player. He finished off the tournament with 2 goals and 6 assists in 6 games, second among defenseman to teammate Tim Erixon. This marked the biggest North American exposure of Ekman-Larsson to date, and everyone seemed to be surprised by not only his mobility and outstanding offensive skills, but also his sound positional defense and his great stick work in the defensive end.

His great overall year improved his ranking with central scouting from 8th to 4th among European skaters, although it was clear that OEL possessed game breaking potential. This potential was enough for the Coyotes to select him 6th overall, over higher ranked players like Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson. Ekman-Larsson immediately became the most touted prospect in the Coyotes system, and the only true, potential franchise defenseman in the system.

Photo property of www.zimbio.com

Ekman-Larsson made the choice to stay in Sweden for another year in the Allsvenskan, a wise choice for a player that just turned 18 on July 17th, 2009. He increased his totals by 10 points despite missing games for the world juniors, making him the highest producing junior defenseman in the league. Although he has never been seen as an overly physical defenseman, Ekman-Larsson made it a point throughout the season to use his body more, and it clearly showed. In the midst of this season he left for Canada to play in the 2010 World Junior Championships. Ekman-Larsson had 5 points in just 6 games as the highest scoring defenseman on his team, yet again impressing with his excellent hockey sense and smooth passing, playing a prominent role in Sweden's road to the bronze medal.

Ekman-Larsson's next test was the 2010 World Championships in Germany. He played a consistent game throughout the tournament, finishing with 3 points(third amongst defenseman on his team) and was even named Sweden's best player in their game against Norway. Sweden would eventually finish with a bronze medal, defeating Germany 3-1. Only one day after his bronze medal game, it was announced that Ekman-Larsson was signed to a 3 year entry level contract, with an annual cap hit of $1.75 million.

The next offseason was an important one for OEL, despite improvements in in his physical game, critics still said it wasn't at a high enough level. Ekman-Larsson took a step towards silencing them, showing up to camp at 190lbs, up from 171 that he played at in Sweden. He kept it quite simple in pre-season, and still looked like was adjusting to the different style of game, but did enough to make the Coyotes out of camp.

Photo property of www.nhl.com

Ekman-Larsson has been playing around 15 even strength minutes per game with the Coyotes, around 1:20 on the power play, and has looked promising so far. He has had his share of rookie mistakes but has been the type of player you certainly notice out on the ice. His skating is already at an NHL level, and his decision making for the most part has been good. He has 4 points in his 15 games in Phoenix, but has been fairly tentative, trying not to make too many mistakes as he transitions to the North American game. Ekman-Larsson has also spent 7 games with San Antonio of the AHL, where he has 6 points in 7 games, and has opened up his game quite a bit more against the lower competition.

As with any international defensemen(or for that matter, any international skater), you can expect a transition period with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, although I wouldn't expect much of one with this Swedish defenseman. One of the main transitions coming over to North America is the speed of the game, and the speed of the decisions you must make because of that. With such a high hockey IQ, great skating ability, and equally good decision making, struggles should be minimal for OEL. So far his game has been sound, and his mobility and stick work have shown, once he gets used to the NHL, you can expect improvement with every game.

There is no doubt that Ekman-Larsson has all the tools to be a franchise defenseman. He can be a major threat in the offensive zone, and with time, his already good defensive game will only improve. This is the type of prospect I would keep an eye on, because it appears that Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be a very special player in the NHL for years to come.



Sources(Although much is personal knowledge)
http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/205/IHM2050SWE_83_6_0.pdf
http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/230/IHM230000_85K_15_0.pdf
http://www.eliteprospects.com/
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/
http://www.hockeydb.com