There is good news and not-so-good news regarding the status of defenseman Mattias Ekholm. The Edmonton Oilers will likely be without the veteran for their second-round series, as confirmed by Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor, who spoke with Ekholm directly. The 34-year-old Swede has never missed a playoff game until now, admitting, “Very hard watching. You get so nervous.”
The good news is that he could return if the Oilers get past the Vegas Golden Knights.
While the exact details of the injury are unknown, Ekholm has been dealing with a serious lower-body issue, first reported by Ryan Rishaug on April 12. At the time, the worst-case scenario suggested his season could be over, while the best-case scenario still meant an extended absence. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch recently reiterated that Ekholm’s return is not imminent, saying, “I think it’s still going to be a little longer.”
Oilers’ depth is stepping up in Ekholm’s absence
Despite being down their arguably top overall defenseman, the Oilers haven’t thrown in the towel. Concerns about blue line depth were silenced in the first round as Jake Walman and John Klingberg held their own. Walman also posted a strong +8 rating in the opening series, and Klingberg, somewhat surprisingly, showed signs of his old days as a top-level blueliner for the Dallas Stars.
