The move was striking. The No. 9 overall pick is a heavy price for Vancouver to pay. For the Coyotes, the trade allows them back into the first round after forfeiting the No. 11 pick for NHL combine violations.
Ekman-Larsson is the key to the trade. The 30-year-old veteran of 769 games, all with the Coyotes recording 388 points, has long been one of the top scoring defensemen in the league. Garland, 25, was the Coyotes' third-leading scorer last season with 12 goals and 26 points in 49 games.
Salary cap impacts were a big reason for the trade. Ekman-Larsson is due $7.2 million a year through the 2026-2027 season and comes with a restricted no-move clause. Garland is a restricted free agent so the Canucks would need to sign him before the season begins.
Vancouver has been trying to free cap space and did so by moving unproductive players with high salaries. Eriksson has one year left on a $6 million annual deal while both Roussel and Eriksson have one year left on $3 million per year contracts. The Canucks get $4 million in cap savings as a result, but before signing Garland.
The NHL Draft is often known for more that picking players as trades like this can and do happen. Earlier in the day a deal was struck between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres. Philadelphia received defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen from the Sabres in exchange for Friday's pick 13 of the first round, a second-round pick in 2023 and defenseman Robert Hagg.
Ristolainen was Buffalo's first-round pick, eighth overall, at the 2013 NHL Draft. Still young at 24 years old, he has played in 542 games with the Sabres while scoring 46 goals, 199 assists, and 245 points.
Buffalo will now have two picks Friday as they will select first and now 13th. Does moving on from Ristolainen almost guarantee the Sabres will take defenseman Owen Power with the first pick?
Will there be more trades as we near the start of the Draft? Will they impact the Kraken or the Pacific Division?
Vancouver has now dropped out of the Draft's first round. Looking at the rest of the division, the Anaheim Ducks should find a good player with the third pick as will the San Jose Sharks with pick number seven.
Then it's the Los Angeles Kings at eight and the Calgary Flames at 12. After making the playoffs this past season, the Edmonton Oilers will select at pick 19.
