DALLAS – The Edmonton Oilers could have defenseman Mattias Ekholm back for the potentially decisive Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. Ekholm has been out of the Oilers’ lineup since April 11 due to an undisclosed injury. His absence extended to the quarterfinal series against the Los Angeles Kings and the semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Speculation about his possible return for Game 5 intensified during the morning skate. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch paired Ekholm on the first defensive pairing alongside Evan Bouchard, with Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak on the second, followed by John Klingberg and Jake Walman.
Although Knoblauch did not directly confirm Ekholm’s participation, the decision to place him alongside Bouchard in the morning skate and his comments in the press conference strongly suggested his possible return.
Ekholm also spoke with reporters after the morning skate, something that only happens when a player is cleared to play that same day.This is a player who has been playing a lot of minutes for us since he arrived in Edmonton. Playing a defensive role, playing on the penalty kill, on the power play, you name it. For him to come back and feel great, it’s a great addition to our team.
Kris Knoblauch
With the possible addition of Ekholm to the lineup, it’s likely that Troy Stetcher, who ranks sixth among the team’s defensemen in ice time, will be the one to sit out. Stetcher has played a significant role in the Oilers’ transformation, who went from being on the brink of elimination in the first round to losing only twice since April 23rd.I hope so! We’ll see how the warm-ups and my nap go, but yes, I feel very good. I think it’s been mainly a conversation with our doctors. I came back twice and re-aggravated it about two months ago, and I’m just making sure I’m in a good place where I can not only play, but also take some hits.
Mattias Ekholm
Knoblauch was asked if he considered playing with a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen to facilitate Ekholm’s return to the team.
We know he’s ready to play and we also know we have a lot of left-handed defensemen who can play a lot of minutes. Darnell Nurse, Kulak, Walman: there are three players, and then you have Ekky on top of that. There are four left-handed defensemen, so I don’t think there’s any threat of his minutes exceeding what they should be. He’s healthy and we don’t have to worry about that.
Kris Knoblauch
Ekholm spent his entire career with the franchise that drafted him, the Nashville Predators, before being traded to the Oilers before the 2023 trade deadline. His arrival provided a reliable 6-foot-5-inch option on defense, capable of performing in various situations.
In his first full season in Edmonton, Ekholm scored a career-high 11 goals and 45 points, averaging 21:05 minutes of ice time in 79 games. He continued this performance in the playoffs, with five goals and 10 points in 21:57 minutes of ice time, helping the Oilers overcome a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, where they ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers.Before the injury, Ekholm was projected to have another season with more than 10 goals. He finished the regular season with nine goals and 33 points in 65 games, while his average of 22:11 minutes of ice time ranked third on the team, behind Bouchard and Nurse.
I guess it’s an adaptation process, but they’ll have to ask the coaches about it. I know we’re going with six (defensemen) if I play, so that gives them an idea, but I feel ready, I feel like I can play. I haven’t played in a long time, so it’ll be a bit of an adjustment, but I feel great. I don’t think I’m going to play 26 minutes, but I think I’m ready for a somewhat normal role.
Mattias Ekholm
