Ekman-Larsson gets Coyotes extension
Sources: Defenseman’s 8-year deal worth $66M
The Coyotes announced new contracts for defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson on Sunday, the first day players were eligible to sign contract extensions with their current teams.
Both Ekman-Larsson and Hjalmarsson were set to have their current contracts expire after the 2018-19 season. Both extensions will kick in prior to the 2019-20 campaign.
Ekman-Larsson signed an eightyear extension, per the Coyotes. The deal is worth $66 million with an annual average value of $8.25 million, according to multiple NHL sources.
“I’m very happy,” Ekman-Larsson said in a conference call Sunday. “I love living in Arizona and playing for the Coyotes so it was a no-brainer for me. I didn’t really think about leaving or going anywhere else.
“I’ve been focused on staying in Arizona. That’s where I want to play. I think we have something good coming.”
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the Coyotes were the only team who could offer EkmanLarsson an eighth year. Ekman-Larsson will carry a cap hit of $5.5 million in the final year of his current deal.
Ekman-Larsson said he consulted with former teammate and ex-Coyotes captain Shane Doan for advice regarding the contract situation. EkmanLarsson said that, over the years, Doan taught him that happiness and loyalty outweighed the importance of money.
“It’s just money,” Ekman-Larsson said when asked if he left money on the table in signing with the Coyotes. “It’s not going to make you happier if you go somewhere else. My heart is in Arizona.”
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns is the only blueliner in the NHL who has scored more goals (107) than Ekman-Larsson (85).
“It’s a huge moment for our entire organization,” Chayka said in a conference call Sunday. “Our fans should be proud, our ownership should be proud, our staff and everyone involved. A superstar caliber player has the option to go to maybe any of the 31 teams and felt the loyalty and felt the belief enough in what we’re doing to sign on long term.
“He’s a leader on and off the ice and a special person, a special player. To get someone like that locked up long term and hopefully make him a Coyote for life . ... ”
Ekman-Larsson, 26, is the longesttenured member of the Coyotes and has registered 102 goals and 290 points in 576 career NHL games.
The Coyotes also announced a twoyear extension for Hjalmarsson. The deal is worth a total $10 million and will pay him $5 million per season, sources said.
The 31-year-old is still under contract for one more season and comes with a cap hit of $4.1 million for the 2018-19 campaign.