Edmonton Oilers coach Knoblauch gives Ekholm injury update
The Edmonton Oilers are on to the second round, though it may still be some time before their top defenceman gets back into the lineup.
The Oilers eliminated the LA Kings in six games on Thursday night despite playing the entire series without Mattias Ekholm. The 34-year-old attempted to rejoin the team in mid-April following an undisclosed injury, which he wound up retweaking just minutes into the game.
Originally, the Oilers announced that Ekholm would miss the entirety of the first round, giving hope that if they advanced, he could return a short time later. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“Mattias right now is doubtful for the second round,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said on Thursday night. “I think he’s still going to be a little bit longer.”
Since being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Nashville Predators, Ekholm has been a horse for the Oilers, playing in seemingly every situation while providing some outstanding defensive play along with some solid offensive contributions. Perhaps more importantly, he’s gelled well and helped cover up some defensive mistakes from the high-event Evan Bouchard.
Not having Ekholm for the second round against a very good Vegas Golden Knights team is a tough blow for the Oilers, though they do have other defencemen who have stepped up.
Jake Walman has been a huge addition since joining the San Jose Sharks at this year’s trade deadline, while Brett Kulak has been steady in elevated minutes. It’s also certainly worth mentioning that John Klingberg has been outstanding since returning from a lower-body injury.
The one player the Oilers will need to step up in round two is Darnell Nurse. The 30-year-old struggled at times versus the Kings, but played a huge part in their 6-4 Game 6 victory on Thursday night. In order to get past the Golden Knights, they’ll need that same type of play from the veteran defenceman to help overcome the loss of Ekholm.
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