Ekholm: “Didn’t Think I Would Be in This Position This Quickly”

“I didn’t think I would be in this position this quickly,” Mattias Ekholm said after he took a full skate with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Ekholm was a full participant with no restrictions and looked solid as he moved around the ice, hoping to be in a position to join the team sometime during the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.

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The Oilers are eyeing a possible return by Game 3 or 4, but if things continue to go well, Ekholm could head out on the road with the team and potentially be available sooner.

“It’d be massive,” said Leon Draisaitl when asked about the Oilers getting Ekholm back. “He’s been arguably our best defenceman for the last two, maybe three years now, and getting a guy like that back into the lineup – it’s hard to describe how much he can do.”

“I watched him yesterday and I watched him today, I think it’s going well,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “I think his mobility is pretty good considering how much time he’s had off and the type of injury that he had, so I think we’re off to a good start.”

Ekholm Feels Like Things Are Ahead of Schedule

Ekholm isn’t getting ahead of himself, but he appears to be ahead of schedule.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to answer and not answer here,” he noted. He then said, “I feel good. I didn’t think I would be in this position this quickly, so I’m really happy about that. Our trainers have done a tremendous job with me. Healing has gone better than I thought, but I’m still just trying to take it day by day. Today was the first time [these playoffs] I was on the ice for a full practice. I thought that it went pretty well.”

He noted that it’s going to be about how he feels tomorrow before he really gets excited. “so I can’t rule anything out or rule anything in. “I’m trying to go on a day-to-day basis, and I’m just happy that I’ve come this far along.”

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