Oilers Reveal Ekholm’s Likely Return Date During Upcoming Series

The Edmonton Oilers will be without veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm for the start of the Western Conference Final. Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that Ekholm is “day-to-day” and will not be available for Games 1 or 2 of the series. However, Knoblauch was optimistic that the 34-year-old could return later in the series.

Although the available blue line has stepped up for the Oilers in a major way, this is great news as Ekholm is a key piece to their success and was instrumental in last season’s long playoff run.

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Ekholm has not played since Game 1 of the first round, when he logged just 1:52 of ice time across three shifts before leaving with an undisclosed injury. He has now missed 10 straight playoff games after sitting out the final three regular-season contests. The worry was that the loss could dramatically affect the Oilers’ chances of success. However, players like Jake Walman, John Klingberg, Troy Stecher, and others have proven to be quite effective.

Now, getting Ekholm back feels less like a necessity and more like a gift.

Ekholm Could Make a Huge Impact vs Dallas or Winnipeg

“Getting a big impact player like Ekholm back would be huge for us,” Knoblauch said. “It’s an amazing position to be in.”

Goaltender Calvin Pickard is also expected to miss the start of the series, but the Oilers are hopeful he could return mid-series. In the meantime, Stuart Skinner will continue to start in goal.

Edmonton eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, giving the team some much-needed rest ahead of the next round. That break could be critical as the Oilers aim to get healthier and stronger with a Stanley Cup Final berth on the line.

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