The Coyotes (29-41-9, 67 points), who have been eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, have three games left.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was granted a leave of absence Monday following the recent death of his mother from cancer and will miss the remainder of the regular season.

"This has been a very difficult year for me personally," Ekman-Larsson said in a statement. "I'd like to thank the Coyotes organization and all of my teammates for their incredible support all season long. I'm sorry that I'll miss our last three games but family comes first."

Ekman-Larsson leads Coyotes defensemen in goals (12), points (39) and average time on ice (24:36).

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Oliver and his family during this very difficult time," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said. "Oliver has done a remarkable job dealing with this issue all season long and we commend him for the professionalism that he's demonstrated. It's important that he travels back to Sweden now to be with his family."