The desert is unruly in this part of the Valley.

Arms of cacti jut out in every direction. Dirt roads peel off from the main street. Shrubs of different sizes squat together in the sand to melt into a blob of green.

Eventually, though, the landscape changes.

It’s perfectly manicured with rocks organized into neat sections, trees arching gracefully as if they’re posing for a postcard and pavement clear of gravel. And at the top of a winding driveway on a hill in Scottsdale is Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s house, a 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom oasis – with a hockey-themed pinball machine.

Inside, Ekman-Larsson is jabbing at his cellphone to find the right button that will roll up the shades on a Friday afternoon. When he does, sunlight pours in and blankets the hardwood floor, black couch and ping-pong table in his front room.

“I love it,” Ekman-Larsson said. “It’s a little bit further away, but it’s worth the drive. It’s so nice and quiet out here.”

When he’s not at work in Glendale, this is where Ekman-Larsson spends the most of his time – reclining on the sofa watching Shooter on Netflix. He’s lived here for four years, but his house has been more than a place to relax in between games.

It’s helped him heal.

So has playing for the Coyotes.

Arizona’s home opener Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights will be Ekman-Larsson’s first regular-season appearance at Gila River Arena since he left the team late last season following the death of his mother, whose battle with cancer weighed on Ekman-Larsson as he skated through an adversity-laden campaign.

And despite how difficult the past has been, Ekman-Larsson’s optimism for the future hasn’t waned and he’s ready to embrace a new era for the Coyotes that has positioned him as the face of their revival.

“I’m super excited about the challenge,” he said.

Playing through the pain

Ekman-Larsson leans into a leather chair underneath a massive window that spies rocky terrain off in the distance. He’s dressed comfortably in a grey cotton short-sleeve shirt that exposes the constellation of tattoos down his left arm, black cutoff shorts and slip-on sandals.

As he stretches out his left leg, he acknowledges that the last year has been the toughest of his 26.

“I don’t think I’m going to go through anything like that again, to be honest with you,” he said. “Well, I hope not.”

Many viewed it as a down season for the Coyotes’ No.1 defenseman.

His goal output (12) was almost cut in half from 2015-16, and Ekman-Larsson registered just 39 points – his fewest since 2013. He made uncharacteristic turnovers, and the Coyotes’ offensive quarterback was on the ice for almost 275 more shots-against during 5-on-5 play than shots for Arizona.

A broken left thumb was partly to blame, an injury Ekman-Larsson suffered in late November but continued to play through for six weeks because he still thought he could help. But he couldn’t unleash his patented wrist shot; even passing was a struggle. And once the thumb healed, another whack to the glove limited his ability for a subsequent three-to-four weeks.

But Ekman-Larsson’s thumb wasn’t the only problem.

His heart and head weren’t the same, either.

“I’m so proud of myself that I really stayed over here and played and still putting up 39 points and played the way I did,” he said. “I wouldn’t call it in an off year on that part but at the same time, I know that I can play better. So that’s why it’s an off year.”

Trying to cope

When he left his native Sweden before last season, Ekman-Larsson was hopeful his mother Annica’s condition would improve.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer a decade ago, getting better before regressing again only to rebound and then restart the cycle.

Annica underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Eventually, the disease spread to her lungs and then it invaded her whole body.

About a year ago, though, she was still up and walking and she wanted Ekman-Larsson to return to Arizona and play. Annica loved hockey, staying up late to watch all of Ekman-Larsson’s games. She sent him a message after each one.

“Even if she was sick for 10 years, she didn’t have one bad day,” Ekman-Larsson said before pausing and then continuing, “So, yeah, that was pretty special about her.”

He stayed in touch with his family every day, but he talked to his parents and brother Kevin constantly anyway. They’d FaceTime, text or call, based on the time with Sweden being nine hours ahead.

“You knew what was going on,” he said. “But at the same time, you were trying to prepare for it. But it’s nothing you can prepare for.”

Being at home alone was a comfort at times, but Ekman-Larsson picked his spots because sometimes it was too harsh of a reminder he was helpless and away from family. He tried to stay busy, watching movies, playing golf or tennis and meeting up with friends.

“It’s a weird feeling, you know,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to explain if you haven’t gone through it. You can’t just put a finger on it, so I don’t know really. … It’s just like empty, somehow.”

The drive to Gila River Arena was the hardest. Ekman-Larsson focused on his mother for 40 minutes – asking himself if he should call home and wondering if she had a bad day.

But when he arrived at the rink, he redirected his thoughts to hockey even though he couldn’t completely engage. And that helped.

He put on a brave face, and he knew it was a mask, but Ekman-Larsson wanted to because of his teammates. They made him feel better, treating him as if everything was normal.

And many had no reason to believe otherwise. Word of what Ekman-Larsson was silently coping with didn’t spread to the entire team until the bye week in January.

Shortly before then, Ekman-Larsson’s dad Patric called him.

“It’s getting worse,” Patric said. “You should probably come home.”

During that break in the schedule, Ekman-Larsson returned to Sweden and visited with Annica. She was resting constantly, but the two talked as much as they could and one day the family had dinner together.

Ekman-Larsson asked her if she wanted him to stay. Annica wanted him to go back; in her mind, she was going to beat cancer – like she had previously done.

By doing what she wanted, Ekman-Larsson could help her feel better about the situation. And even though he knew there was a chance she wouldn't make it, he didn't feel like he was saying goodbye.

He prayed she would be there when he returned after the season, and he told her he loved her.

And then he left.

"One of the hardest things I ever done," Ekman-Larsson said. "I don't think it’s going to get much harder than that."

Shocking news

On an off-night in March, Ekman-Larsson was at The W Scottsdale Hotel to walk in a fashion show.

He invited teammate Anthony Duclair to go with him and after the two grabbed dinner, they arrived at the venue for the show.

A few minutes before Ekman-Larsson was scheduled to walk, his phone rang. It was Patric.

“My mom passed away,” Ekman-Larsson said to Duclair.

She was 51.

Duclair hugged Ekman-Larsson and told him he didn’t have to model. But he did anyway.

Ekman-Larsson didn’t cry. He wanted to but couldn’t. It was like his body had been turned off.

He was in shock.

When Ekman-Larsson woke up the next morning, that’s when reality sunk in.

And then he bawled.

"You know that you’re never gonna see her again," he said. "She’s not gonna be there. She’s not gonna text you or call you or stuff like that, so it's like a big hole to fill. And it's never gonna be full again."

Later that night, he dressed for the Coyotes.

Ekman-Larsson didn’t care about hockey that game, but he played because he wanted to do it for his mom. She had wanted him to stay on the ice all season, so he did that for her.

He isn’t sure how he did it, but he did.

“I think we got that from our mother, actually,” Kevin said. “She was so strong.”

Stunning summer

With three games left in the season – and after suiting up for all 79 that came before – Ekman-Larsson finally took a leave of absence from the Coyotes, who had made it clear whatever Ekman-Larsson felt was necessarily to help himself and his family should be his No.1 priority.

His family had been trying to postpone the funeral until after the season ended, but it was time.

He spent the offseason surrounded by friends and family. After being home for a few weeks, Ekman-Larsson felt like he needed to get away so he represented Sweden in the IIHF World Championship and captured gold.

Ekman-Larsson was also glued to his phone, monitoring the stunning turnover that saw the Coyotes’ captain, goalie and coach subtracted in less than a week before replacements and reinforcements were added.

He expected some changes, a few new players, but not an overhaul of this magnitude. Ekman-Larsson, however, wasn’t completely surprised; General Manager John Chayka reached out at one point to ask what Ekman-Larsson thought about fellow countryman Niklas Hjalmarsson – a pillar on the Blackhawks blue line.

Ekman-Larsson told Chayka he’d love to play with Hjalmarsson and praised his leadership. Soon after, Chayka swung a trade with Chicago to land Hjalmarsson – Ekman-Larsson’s new partner on the top pairing.

The offseason moves have stoked Ekman-Larsson’s excitement for the season, and he believes progress is possible. But it felt weird walking into a locker room that didn't include former captain Shane Doan, who did not receive a contract offer from the Coyotes and retired in August.

Asked if he agrees with the team’s makeover, Ekman-Larsson exhales and then said, “Well, I don’t have to agree with everything. Chayka, he’s my boss and I don’t have anything to say. I’m glad he called me about Niklas, and that makes me really happy that I have a say in that. At the same time, that’s how it works. You gotta keep in mind it’s a business.”

Right at home

There’s a few paintings on the wall, an assortment of pillows across the couch cushions and a fuzzy rug in the center of the living room.

Ekman-Larsson had an interior decorator help him outfit his house, and Arizona feels like home.

“I’m super happy here, and I’ve been here for eight years – this is my eighth year,” he said. “I haven’t thought about leaving once.”

Drafted sixth overall in 2009, Ekman-Larsson is the organization’s best homegrown product on the roster.

He’s one of the league's elite defenders yet also one of its best-kept secrets, a baffling juxtaposition likely the result of the Coyotes’ five-year playoff absence and playing in an NHL market that’s barely in its 20s.

His six-year, $33 million contract will expire after next season.

The Coyotes aren’t allowed to start negotiating a new deal until the summer, but the team views him as a long-term solution and Ekman-Larsson wants to stay.

“I’ve always looked at it the grass is not greener on the other side,” he said. “It’s been tough for five, four years. But at the same time, you could take the easy way out, ‘Yeah, bye-bye,’ (and) go to some other team. Or you could stay and really be the guy who turns it around and be remembered for that.

“So that’s how I look at it, and I don’t like to take the easy way out.”

After seven seasons, Ekman-Larsson has gotten used to the attention, embracing it through maturity even though he doesn’t seek it out.

“I don’t love it,” he said. “But I don’t hate it.”

What the spotlight does, though, is motivate him. He isn’t happy just skating in the NHL. Ekman-Larsson wants to get better, lift a Stanley Cup and win a Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman.

He realizes he has the potential to dictate outcomes, and he enjoys the power. When Ekman-Larsson’s skating, moving the puck and ripping shots, the Coyotes have a legit chance.

“I want to be the guy who makes it go the other way and start winning and be the game-changer,” he said. “I think I have what it takes to do that. At the same time, we’re going to need everybody to play better.”

As much as it looks like his team because he’s the best player, Ekman-Larsson doesn’t see it that way – although he recognizes the unique position he carries. He would have loved to be named captain and even though he wasn’t, with the team appointing him and four others alternate captains, he said he’s not disappointed and vows to lead regardless.

“I will give 100 percent every single game and single practice,” Ekman-Larsson said. “That’s what I do, and that’s who I am so that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

Dawning of a new day

Ekman-Larsson walks outside his glass front door and onto the balcony that festoons the front of his house.

It’s still sunny but not as bright as before. Dusk is crawling closer and so is nighttime, and then it’ll almost be a new day.

He’s excited for this fresh start with the Coyotes, even if it is a little nerve-wracking. Although he may have already been in the driver seat as the team’s most important catalyst, he’s no longer leasing. He’s now the owner.

“We’re excited for him to be synonymous with the Coyotes and synonymous with what it means to be a Coyote,” Chayka said.

But Ekman-Larsson has perspective on the challenge, an outlook that emerged from watching his mother persevere like she did.

“It’s just a sport,” he said. “I still take it serious, but it’s easier for me to put that behind me and move forward from a bad game or I messed up. I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever. I’m just going to try to do better next time.’”

He won’t be completely isolated. Kevin is nearby now, suiting up for the Tucson Roadrunners – the Coyotes’ American Hockey League affiliate – after the Coyotes wanted to give the 22-year-old prospect an opportunity and signed him to a one-year contract in May.

Still, there’s good days and bad ones, “but that’s how it’s going to be,” Ekman-Larsson said. “It’s not going to go (away) in a day or a week or a year. It’s just something that I’m going to live with for the rest of my life.”

He said he wouldn’t have survived the hardship of the past year if it wasn’t for hockey. It’s what he loves, what he’s excels at and what makes him feel good about who he is.

So there’s really only one way to move forward.

Ekman-Larsson is going to play.

It’s what his mom wanted.

“I’m gonna go out and try to have fun and just don’t think too much,” he said. “If I have fun, that’s when I’m playing my best hockey. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

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Saturday's game

Golden Knights at Coyotes

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Gila River Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KTAR-AM (620).

Outlook: Goalie Antti Raanta feels ready to make his season debut Saturday in the Coyotes’ home opener after backing up Louis Domingue Thursday in a 5-4 loss to the Ducks. Raanta was limited during training camp, as he dealt with a left leg spasm. Coach Rick Tocchet said he’d finalize his starter after talking to Raanta Saturday morning. “I feel good,” Raanta said. “I feel every day has been more progress and in the last two, three days, you start to feel the sharpness in your movements and you’re seeing the puck clearly.” ... The expansion Golden Knights played their first regular-season game Friday in Dallas against the Stars. During the summer’s expansion draft, Vegas selected some intriguing names. Three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury will man the crease. Winger James Neal scored 23 goals last season with the Predators. Center Jonathan Marchessault is also coming off a strong season, as he scored 30 with the Panthers in 2016-17. But strong defending will likely be key for Vegas as the team adapts to the ultra-competitive Pacific Division.