VANCOUVER – Much more separates Drew Doughty and Oliver Ekman-Larsson than one draft class and the western edge of the Sonoran Desert.
Doughty, the Los Angeles Kings' defenceman who is eligible for unrestricted free agency 16 months from now, famously went Rod Tidwell last fall and essentially bellowed "Show me the money!" in an interview with The Athletic.
Doughty figures he and Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa Senators captain who is also a potential UFA in 2019, should be paid "quite a bit more" than any defenceman in the NHL, and if getting paid means changing teams, so be it.
Asked about the Doughty Plan this week, Arizona Coyotes' Ekman-Larsson said: "It's just money. It's not going to make you happier. It might make your life a little bit easier but it's not going to make you happier. I feel if you're around good people, that's what makes you happy. I feel like I have that here. This is where I want to be."
Jerry Maguire, Tidwell's agent in the movie, would by weepy with gratitude to have a client like Ekman-Larsson, the third star defenceman who could go to the highest bidder next year.
Doughty, the 28-year-old from London, Ont., was drafted second overall by the Kings in 2008. One year later, Sweden's Ekman-Larsson, 26, went sixth to Arizona.
Both are outstanding, but there are other differences between the two as dramatic as their views on capitalism.
Doughty is also a two-time Stanley Cup winner, a Norris Trophy winner, a confident leader who is driven to win, demands much from himself and teammates, and excels under pressure.
Ekman-Larsson has spent his entire eight-year career in the shadows with one of the NHL's poorest and least-visible franchises. He has been to the playoffs once. What pressure?
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