VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 5: Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Vancouver Canucks during NHL action against the Colorado Avalanche on January, 5, 2023 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Canucks make Ekman-Larsson a healthy scratch vs. Lightning

3 years ago

Rich Lam / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a healthy scratch Thursday for the 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay Lightning.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is not on the ice for warmup.

Thanks to the guys at @SNstats for digging up that this is his first healthy scratch since March 29, 2011.

4,307 days between healthy scratches.@Sportsnet650 #Canucks
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) January 12, 2023

The 31-year-old is the third-highest paid player on the team this season with a $7.26-million cap hit and is signed through 2026-27, per CapFriendly.

Vancouver dressed the following blue line instead:

LD	RD
Quinn Hughes	Luke Schenn
Travis Dermott	Tyler Myers
Riley Stillman	Ethan Bear

Ekman-Larsson has recorded a goal and 18 assists in 40 games this campaign with a minus-14 rating - second worst on the team. Despite being an asset on the penalty kill, his underlying numbers have been poor this season.

The Canucks acquired Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes during the 2021 offseason in a trade that also netted Vancouver winger Conor Garland in exchange for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a seventh-rounder, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Antoine Roussel. Arizona also retained 12% of Ekman-Larsson's $8.25-million cap hit.