Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Maple Leafs: ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could win’

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is confident that his team has what it takes to win a Stanley Cup.

Ekman-Larsson made an appearance on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Thursday, outlining why he feels the Leafs are capable of reaching the hockey summit.

“ I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could win.  That’s the main thing, uh, for me, especially in this time of my career too, and have had that taste to actually go all the way,” he said. “ I mean, look at Florida. They were in one final before, and it takes time.  You gotta kinda go through the tough years; sometimes you gotta go through some tough losses to kinda get to that point.  I feel like we did that last year. We took a step in the right direction, even if it wasn’t close enough. I felt like we showed that we could play with the best, now it’s just to get to that next level.”

Ekman-Larsson was part of the Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup-winning team and gained firsthand experience of what it takes for a team to go all the way. He noted that while the organization providing all of the resources to make it happen does help, it is also on the players to get it done.

There have been some changes to the personnel on the roster throughout the summer months, and the Swedish blue-liner approves of the new additions made by GM Brad Treliving.

“The guys that we added this summer, I’m really excited about,” Ekman-Larsson said. “ [Dakota Joshua], that I played with in Vancouver, I know what he’s capable of doing and I think the fans will love him here. [Nicolas] Roy coming in, I think he got a little but more in his bag than what people think, you know?  Looks very skilled out there, even if he’s good in the d-zone and kinda all over the ice so I’m excited about that. [Matias] Maccelli, the little guy, nice hands. Every player that we added I like and seems like great guys.”

When it comes to building a contending team, everyone on the roster has to know their role and play to their strengths for the betterment of the team. And while some players in the latter stages of their career may not be at the level they were once at, adapting to a new role to ensure overall team success goes a long way towards extending a player’s stay in the NHL.

Ekman-Larsson did that by embracing his ‘dark side’ by playing with more snarl in his game, which is something he is proud of providing on a nightly basis.

“ I feel like I’ve always had that kinda bite to my game, if you can call it that. I always like playing that way,” he said. “It’s not like I’m throwing people around and making the big hits, but I’m just trying to get in the way when I can and give my teammates some more room and some more time with the puck.  That’s part of the game too, right? And that’s something that I really enjoy: playing that way.  So I know I can play that way. Might not be the highlight hits, but I think I’m a pain to play against sometimes.”

You can watch the full interview with Ekman-Larsson down below: