He may not be the player he was a decade ago, but indisputably, Oliver Ekman-Larsson still has plenty left in the tank.

Long story short, if deployed correctly, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to suggest that the 33-year-old could prove to be a big-time difference maker for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In one short year, he went from being bought out by the Vancouver Canucks to a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers. Most importantly, Ekman-Larsson got his confidence back. He signed a one year ‘prove it’ deal to latch on with a perennial contender, and to his credit, he held up to his end of the bargain. As the season progressed, he got better and better. By the end of things, he was playing top four minutes and running the first power play unit. He provided fantastic value for the Florida Panthers.

And now, Craig Berube and company are looking for the same thing, or at least some semblance of it. Of course, it’s important to note that Florida’s blue line was stacked. Paul Maurice possessed so much depth that it allowed him to shelter and support Ekman-Larsson accordingly. Having said all that, the veteran deserves some major props for turning his career around. In return, he was able to solidify a four-year, $15 million contract in free agency with the Maple Leafs. In the long run, if Lane Lambert and the rest of the coaching staff can find the right sweet spot when it comes to utilization, they should have no problem extracting value from that deal.

In short, Ekman-Larsson’s not a complete disaster like some pundits are making him out to be. Like most defenders though, he has his limitations, but at that price tag, the move made a lot of sense. It did on July 1, it still does now. Furthermore, I liked how physical he was in the postseason. I’ve never seen him play like that. I thought he was fantastic, and if that continues in Toronto, both parties will be pleased.

Over and above all that, Brad Treliving and Shane Doan know him well, which in the long run, should help immensely. To start, it would make a lot of sense to roll Ekman-Larsson on the bottom pairing with Timothy Liljegren or Jani Hakanpaa (if that signing ever becomes official). Additionally, I would give him the first shot to run the No. 1 power play unit. In turn, conceivably, that would help to take some of the load off Morgan Rielly’s plate. Effectively, the Leafs are hoping that Ekman-Larsson can provide what they thought they were getting in John Klingberg last summer.

As is the case with most signings, yes, there’s an element of risk here. That being said, if the Leafs tread carefully and appropriately, it should work out in their favour.

Just some food for thought.