Edmonton Oilers coach gives encouraging timeline on Ekholm return
The Edmonton Oilers are expecting to have defenceman Mattias Ekholm back during the Western Conference Final.
The 34-year-old last played on April 11, lasting less than two minutes before reinjuring an undisclosed issue, which had forced him to miss roughly two weeks of action prior.
The Oilers will not have Ekholm back for Game 1 or 2 of their upcoming series, but are strongly optimistic that the Swedish blueliner will be able to return shortly afterward.
“He’s day-to-day. I’m not anticipating him being ready for Game 1 or 2, but we’re optimistic that maybe some time in this third round, he will join us,” head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters during a media availability on Friday morning.
Ekholm played a huge role for the Oilers in the 2024-25 season, scoring nine goals and 33 points in 65 games. His 22:12 minutes of ice time per outing was third amongst Oilers skaters, while his 2:05 per game on the penalty kill ranked second to only Jake Walman (2:16), who played just 16 regular season games with the team after being acquired at the trade deadline.
Ekholm has also shown an ability to elevate his play when the stakes are at their highest, as he scored five goals in 25 games during last year’s Stanley Cup run. Getting him back at all during these playoffs would greatly increase the Oilers’ chances of winning it all in just over a month.
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