Is Ekholm injured? Oilers could be thin on defence tonight
The status of the Edmonton Oilers’ best all-around defenceman may be up in the air for Game 4 versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Mattias Ekholm was absent from morning skate today, which certainly got the attention of Oilers fans. After practice, the mood of the fan base turned even more stressful after head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters that Philip Broberg is an option to suit up tonight.
Knoblauch confirms that Philip Broberg is an option for the team and that they may deploy and 11-7 formation.
Not something the rookie HC has tried out much in his first season as an NHL coach.
We'll see what happens. #Oilers
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) May 14, 2024
āWhether we go with seven defencemen [remains to be seen], but yeah, itās an option that he could play tonight,ā Knoblauch said.
If Ekholm is indeed banged up, it could have happened early in Game 3, as he took two monstrous body checks, first from Elias Lindholm, and shortly after Dakota Joshua.
If Oilers dress seven D for injury related reasons. Hereās a pretty good indication of someone that might be feeling something. pic.twitter.com/zfAyiaduIO
ā Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) May 14, 2024
The Oilers haven’t commented on any potential injury to Ekholm, though teams are usually very quiet about such in the playoffs. It’s worth noting that he didn’t appear to be any worse for wear in the remainder of Game 3, logging 23:46 in ice time while registering a goal and an assist in the Oilers’ 4-3 loss.
Based on pairings at today’s morning skate, the Oilers appear to be preparing to go without Ekholm, or at the very least, lowering his minutes. Evan Bouchard, Ekholm’s regular partner, was skating on the top pairing with Brett Kulak, while Darnell Nurse and Vincent Desharnais were together to round out the top four. The bottom pairing featured Broberg alongside Cody Ceci.
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