Veteran Oilers Defenceman Showing Uncharacteristic Early-Season Woes

Whether you call it a demotion or part of head coach Kris Knoblauch’s continued blurring of the lines for the Edmonton Oilers, something appears off with Mattias Ekholm. The veteran defender was moved to a pairing with Jake Walman on Sunday night and didn’t start the game alongside his return partner in Evan Bouchard.

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As Mark Spector of Sportsnet writes, “It was Ekholm’s first game on a separate pairing from Evan Bouchard, and we’re not sure who the break-up was most designed to benefit. Neither of the Oilers’ top-pairing defencemen has been anywhere near the top of their game through 10 games, and surely, getting schooled by Sherwood was one that nobody could blame on Ekholm’s partner.”

That schooling Spector talked about was the dangle Kiefer Sherwood made around Ekholm that made the latter look like a novice defenseman. It was a rare sight and so unlike Ekholm, some believe he’s still being hampered by an injury that forced him to miss a good chunk of last season.

Ekholm Looks Off for the Oilers

Ekholm has long been one of the NHL’s steadier defencemen, but through the first 10 games of the season, it’s clear he’s not playing at his usual level. He was on the ice for the Seattle Kraken’s third goal in a recent matchup, then cleanly beaten by Sherwood on a deft drag move that left Ekholm scrambling.

That this happened when he wasn’t with Bouchard, that had been the early knock on the pairing this season — that Bouchard was struggling so bad it was affecting Ekholm. It’s clear now, this isn’t just an issue with Bouchard. Sherwood made Ekholm look out of position and hesitant, a rare sight for a player of his experience.

Jason Strudwick wondered on the Got Yer’ Back podcast if it’s possible that Ekholm is still working through a nagging injury. At the very least, he’s healthy, but it’s taking him some time to get back to normal. That may be a fair assessment given that Ekholm hasn’t regained his full form after the offseason. Whatever the cause, Edmonton needs its veteran blueliner firing on all cylinders. The Oilers’ defensive struggles have been a key factor in their slow 4-4-2 start, and Ekholm’s inconsistency comes at an inopportune time as others are struggling too.

The hope is that time, lineup adjustments, and perhaps a bit of rest can help Ekholm return to his trusted, reliable self. But through 10 games, it’s fair to say that something is off. This is a player the Oilers just gave a new contract extension to. The early returns don’t look incredibly promising.

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