Oliver Ekman-Larsson injury: Why did Maple Leafs D-man exit game vs. Sharks early?

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks after suffering what appeared to be a left-leg injury during a third-period collision.

The incident occurred when Ekman-Larsson became tangled with Sharks forward Adam Gaudette in the neutral zone. The veteran defender went down awkwardly landing on his left foot and was unable to put any weight on the leg.

Ekman-Larsson needed help from team staff to get off the ice afterwards and went directly to the locker room. He did not return.

The sequence followed a game in which Ekman-Larsson had already been heavily involved logging multiple shot attempts and defensive sequences including a shot on goal at 10:44 of the second period and another attempt that was blocked at 7:27. His night ended abruptly after the accidental collision with Gaudette who also fell hard on the play.

“As soon as he got tangled up with Gaudette, you could see he needed help. He falls onto his left foot, probably an ankle thing. Completely accidental… It’s tough to see him with no weight at all on that leg,” the commentators noted.

The broadcast also mentioned the impact of the injury on Toronto’s already-thinned blue line:

“That’ll be their third regular defenceman not playing in this game. One of Henry Thrun or Simon Benoit will have to finish the night with Morgan Rielly.”

Ekman-Larsson entered the game having been one of Toronto’s most reliable defenders this season. Through 29 games, he had recorded 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists), logged 40 blocked shots and averaged 20:57 of ice time while playing top-pair minutes alongside Morgan Rielly.

The Leafs were already short-handed on the back end with multiple regulars unavailable. Toronto led 2-1 at the time Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno