$Oliver Ekman-Larsson fractures foot at World Championship$

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffers foot fracture at IIHF World Championship

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 5/28/22

The Vancouver Canucks announced Saturday that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered a foot fracture during the IIHF World Championship in Finland.

The injury will take four to six weeks to heal, but Ekman-Larsson should be ready to return when training camp opens for the Canucks.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered a foot fracture during the IIHF World Championship. The timeline for his recovery is 4-6 weeks.
— Canucks PR (@CanucksPR) May 28, 2022

Captain for Sweden in the World Championship, Ekman-Larsson played six games, finishing with two assists in the tournament. Sweden was knocked out of the playoff round quarterfinals by Canada, 4-3, in overtime on May 26. The Canadians advanced to the finals and will take on Finland on Sunday, May 29.

The two-time All-Star was acquired by the Canucks in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes last July. Ekman-Larsson spent the first 11 seasons of his NHL career with the Coyotes, playing 769 games. From 2010 to 2021 with Arizona, Ekman-Larsson compiled 128 goals and 260 assists.

The 30-year-old blueliner finished his first season with the Canucks with five goals and 24 assists in 79 regular-season games. Vancouver placed fifth in the Pacific Division with a 40-30-12 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs.

Ekman-Larsson has been the topic of trade rumors recently; he has five years remaining on an eight-year, $66 million contract signed in 2019.

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