Edmonton Oilers top trade target comes off the board

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Liam McCormick
September 9, 2024 (7:05 PM)

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Moments ago, the Seattle Kraken announced that they've signed defenceman Adam Larsson to a 4 year contract extension at $5.25M each year.

The 31 year old Swedish defenceman is now settling down to play the rest of his career with the Kraken on this contract. Larsson played five season with the Oilers between 2016 and 2021, and was identified as one of the top trade targets for Edmonton this season.

Larsson is a 6'3» right shot defensive defenceman, the type of player who could excel in the playoffs. After playing 838 career NHL games, Larsson has only played 38 games in the playoffs - including a few short runs with the Oilers. With his play style and familiarity with the team, Larsson would've been a great candidate for the Oilers to re-acquire for the playoffs.

Larsson did leave Edmonton after he suddenly lost his father to a heart attack while he was visiting, and he was looking for a fresh start in a new city after the incident. It feels unlikely that Larsson would've accepted a trade to Edmonton had they tried to trade for him.

The Kraken are projected to be one of the teams fighting for a last place finish this season, so they may have needed to overpay Larsson a bit to stay on as a veteran and leader on a rebuilding Kraken team. Oilers fans will certainly be wishing the best for Larsson in the next chapter of his career.