Ekholm (undisclosed) is not expected back until after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports Monday.
Ekholm was already considered out indefinitely, so this latest update is far from a surprise given his status. With Troy Stecher (undisclosed) and Jake Walman (undisclosed) also banged up, the Oilers find themselves very thin on the blue line and will need to get some healthy players back sooner rather than later.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Likely out indefinitely
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Ekholm (undisclosed) is still undergoing testing, but even in a best-case scenario, he's expected to miss a fair amount of time, Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports Saturday.
Ekholm has nine goals, 33 points, 42 hits and 95 blocks in 65 appearances in 2024-25. It sounds like he probably won't play in Edmonton's final three regular-season games, and the larger question now is what his availability will be like for the playoffs because he could be out for the remainder of the year. Cam Dineen, summoned from AHL Bakersfield on Saturday as an emergency recall, will likely draw into the Oilers' lineup for Sunday's game against Winnipeg.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Hurt again Friday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) won't finish Friday's game versus the Sharks, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.
It's unclear how much of this is caution and how much is a true injury concern. Ekholm lasted just two shifts in his return from a seven-game absence, and he was seen falling down on the ice prior to his exit, per Spector. At this point, the Oilers may just shut Ekholm down prior to the postseason, assuming the injury isn't bad enough to endanger his chances of being available for Game 1.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Ready to rock
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will return to the lineup versus San Jose on Friday, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Ekholm has missed the last seven games and 13 of the Oilers' last 17 contests. He had one goal and five assists in the four games he managed to play between injuries, giving the 34-year-old defenseman nine goals, 24 assists, 42 hits and 95 blocked shots across 64 appearances this season.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Still sidelined Wednesday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will remain on the shelf ahead of Wednesday's clash with the Blues, Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk reports.
While Ekholm won't be ready for Wednesday's matchup, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters he expects all of the Oilers' injured players back before the postseason starts. It's been a tough end of the season for Ekholm, who has missed 12 of the team's last 16 outings -- though he was rolling offensively in limited action with six points in those four appearances. Ty Emberson figures to see an increased role while Ekholm remains out of action.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Unlikely to play during road trip
Rotowire
Ekholm (undisclosed) is doubtful to return during the Oilers' upcoming three-game road trip, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports.
Ekholm has already been shelved for Edmonton's previous three contests due to his undisclosed injury and will now be unavailable for another trio of tilts. During his brief four-game return from a prior injury, the 34-year-old defender was offering decent offensive upside with six points in his last four contests.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Won't play Tuesday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) won't travel with the Oilers for the start of their road trip that begins Tuesday against the Golden Knights, Derek Van Diest of NHL.com reports.
Ekholm has missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, and his absence will extend to three games Tuesday. The Oilers will play four games on their road trip, culminating with a matchup against the Ducks on April 7. However, it's not yet clear whether Ekholm will rejoin the team during that time. Ty Emberson should continue to see playing time for the Oilers while Ekholm is sidelined.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Unavailable Saturday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) won't play against Calgary on Sunday, per Tony Brar of Oilers TV.
Ekholm didn't participate in the morning skate and will miss his second straight game. He has accounted for nine goals, 33 points, 143 shots on net, 95 blocked shots and 42 hits through 64 games this season. Ty Emberson will remain in the lineup due to Ekholm's absence.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Out Thursday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) is expected to miss Thursday's clash against Seattle, per Paige Martin of Oilers TV.
Ekholm has nine goals, 33 points, 30 PIM, 42 hits and 95 blocks in 64 outings with the Oilers in 2024-25. Edmonton is expected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with Ty Emberson and John Klingberg (undisclosed) drawing into the lineup. Ekholm's absence was described as maintenance, which suggests the issue might be minor, so perhaps he'll be back Saturday versus Calgary.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Garners assist in loss
Rotowire
Ekholm logged an assist, three shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Stars.
Ekholm has a goal and five assists over four contests since he returned from missing six games due to an undisclosed injury. The 34-year-old defenseman continues to handle a heavy workload in the top four as a shutdown blueliner. He's still chipped in strong offense with 33 points, 143 shots on net and a plus-11 rating to go with 95 blocked shots, 42 hits and 30 PIM across 64 appearances.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Registers two helpers in win
Rotowire
Ekholm notched a pair of assists in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Kraken.
One of the helpers came on the power play as Ekholm set up an Adam Henrique goal in the first period. With five points over three outings since returning from a six-game absence due to an undisclosed injury, Ekholm has returned in fine form. The 34-year-old blueliner is up to 32 points (seven on the power play), 140 shots on net, 95 blocked shots, 30 PIM and a plus-13 rating over 63 appearances in 2024-25. He's on pace to record at least 35 points for the fourth time in his career.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Strong in return
Rotowire
Ekholm scored a goal on three shots, added two assists, blocked four shots, logged two hits and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Utah.
Ekholm returned from a six-game absence due to an undisclosed injury. Even with a lopsided score in the Oilers' favor, Ekholm saw a hefty 21:27 of ice time to help secure the win, though it was his burst of offense that was most noticeable. This was his first multi-point effort since Jan. 27 versus the Kraken. The 34-year-old defenseman is up to nine goals, 30 points, 137 shots on net, 90 blocked shots, 41 hits, 28 PIM and a plus-13 rating over 61 appearances. As long as he stays healthy, he'll close out the regular season in a top-four role with the ability to chip in decent offense from the blue line.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Set to return Tuesday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will be in the lineup Tuesday versus Utah, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Ekholm will return to the lineup for the first time since March. 4 after missing the last six games due to his undisclosed injury. The veteran defenseman should slot in on the No. 1 pairing next to Evan Bouchard, but it remains to be seen if he'll receive a cap on his ice time. Jake Walman will slide down to the second pairing as a result of Ekholm's return.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Unavailable Monday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) won't play against Buffalo on Monday, per Jamie Umbach of the Oilers' official site.
Ekholm is still day-to-day and will miss his third straight game. He has produced eight goals, 27 points, 134 shots on net, 86 blocked shots and 39 hits in 60 games this season. Due to Ekholm's absence, Jake Walman will skate alongside Evan Bouchard in Monday's lineup.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Out of action Saturday
Rotowire
Ekholm (undisclosed) will sit out Saturday's tilt versus Dallas, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports.
Ekholm will miss his second straight game. The 34-year-old veteran defenseman has eight goals, 19 assists and 134 shots on goal over 60 appearances this season. Look for Jake Walman to enter the lineup for the first time since his trade from San Jose on Thursday.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Not playing Thursday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup versus Montreal on Thursday, according to Bob Stauffer of the Oilers Radio Network.
Ekholm has eight goals, 19 assists and 86 blocked shots across 60 games with the Oilers this season. He should be considered day-to-day at this time. The Oilers recalled defenseman Cam Dineen on an emergency basis Wednesday and he will enter the lineup against the Canadiens.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: In doubt against Habs
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Ekholm is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is questionable to face Montreal on Thursday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.
Despite putting up 11 shots in his last five games, Ekholm has been unable to find the back of the net. The blueliner has chipped in two assists over that stretch and continues to see plenty of minutes with the second power-play unit. If Ekholm is unable to play Thursday, Troy Stecher figures to jump back into the lineup.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Picks up power-play helper
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Ekholm registered a power-play assist and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Ducks.
Ekholm was just one of four Edmonton skaters to maintain an even plus-minus rating in the blowout loss. The 34-year-old defenseman also snagged a helper on Leon Draisaitl's first-period tally. With five points over his last nine games, Ekholm's doing alright on offense -- it's fairly typical production for a top-four defenseman, though Ekholm is typically stronger in his own zone. For the season, the Swede has 27 points (six on the power play), 134 shots on net, 86 blocked shots, 39 hits and a plus-10 rating over 60 appearances.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Scores in Saturday's loss
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Ekholm scored a goal and went minus-3 in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Flyers.
Ekholm's goal briefly tied the game at 3-3 in the second period, but the Oilers didn't have another comeback in them. The defenseman has two goals and five assists over his last eight NHL outings, and he was also on Sweden's roster during the 4 Nations Face-Off, so he didn't have a break for the past two weeks. The 34-year-old blueliner is now at eight goals, 25 points, 123 shots on net, 80 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating through 55 appearances this campaign.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Hands out assist in loss
Rotowire
Ekholm notched a power-play assist and three blocked shots in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Avalanche.
Ekholm has two helpers over three contests since he returned from missing a game due to an illness. The 34-year-old blueliner helped out on a Corey Perry tally in the second period. For the season, Ekholm has 24 points 122 shots on net, 80 blocked shots and a plus-17 rating over 54 appearances in a top-four role.
