Ekholm is healthy enough to play for Edmonton Oilers next game: report
The Edmonton Oilers may be without Zach Hyman for the rest of the playoffs, but it appears they will be gaining an equally important player in the process.
Mattias Ekholm has been on the brink of returning to the lineup for about a week or so, and it sounds like he will finally be getting back into action. A new report from Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor has the veteran Swede being an option for the Oilers for Thursday night’s Game 5 in Dallas.
If he plays, it will be his first game since April 11 against the San Jose Sharks.
“Ekholm is an option tomorrow,” Gregor reported on social media. “If Ekholm plays, I think 12 [forwards] and 6[defencemen] makes more sense and Jeff Skinner draws in as the 12th forward.”
Ekholm is an option for tomorrow.
Oilers could go 11-7, however, with Hyman and Brown out, that is two of your top six fwds in TOI/game. Would be asking a lot of others to step up.
If Ekholm plays, I think 12-6 makes more sense and Jeff Skinner draws in as the 12th forward.— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) May 28, 2025
Getting Ekholm back in the lineup is a massive boon for the Oilers’ defensive group. Since being acquired at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the 35-year-old defenceman has consistently played on Edmonton’s top pair alongside Evan Bouchard.
That spot has seen a few different players take over in Ekholm’s absence, with Brett Kulak being the most recent.
Bouchard has been having another excellent postseason, and getting back his usual partner should only help him improve as the team looks to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
The difficult part of this will lie on Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, as he now has to decide who to take out of the lineup. Though Ekholm was a big loss for the Oilers’ blueline, they have found a way to thrive in his absence.
All six defenceman have pulled their weight in these playoffs and have helped change the narrative on Edmonton being a strictly offensive-driven team.
Troy Stecher has particularly drawn praise for his playoff efforts, but he is the obvious candidate to come out of the lineup to make room for Ekholm.
There is also the question of how quickly Knoblauch wants to throw Ekholm back into action. This was a lengthy injury, so putting him back in his usual top-pairing spot may not be the best option to start, and there should be some hesitation in breaking up a solid second pair of Jake Walman and John Klingberg.
Could we be looking at a Game 5 defensive group that looks like this?
Brett Kulak – Evan Bouchard
Jake Walman-John Klingberg
Mattias Ekholm-Darnell Nurse
Both Ekholm and Nurse have a limited amount of experience playing on their off-side, so it’s unclear how willing Knoblauch would be to try that out on the third pair.
No matter what kind of formation the Oilers decide to run, getting Ekholm back into playoff action is sure to help bolster the defensive group.