DALLAS — The Edmonton Oilers apparently could have defenseman Mattias Ekholm again of their lineup Thursday their probably series-clinching victory in Recreation 5 of the Western Convention finals towards the Dallas Stars.
Ekholm has been out of the Oilers’ lineup since April 11 with an undisclosed damage. He was dominated out by way of Edmonton’s quarterfinal sequence towards the Los Angeles Kings and their semifinal sequence towards the Vegas Golden Knights.
There had been hypothesis about Ekholm returning for Recreation 5 solely to see that dialogue amplify at morning skate. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch had Ekholm skate on the highest defensive pairing alongside Evan Bouchard, with Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak on the second pairing adopted by John Klingberg and Jake Walman.
Though Knoblauch did not outright say that Ekholm would play, the choice to have him subsequent to Bouchard at morning skate alongside together with his feedback at his press convention strongly urged that it was a risk he would return.
“Here is a man that is been enjoying huge minutes for us since he is just about got here to Edmonton,” Knoblauch instructed reporters Thursday. “Taking part in a shut-down position, enjoying a penalty-kill position, energy play, no matter. For him to return again and feeling nice, it is an important addition to our workforce.”
Ekholm additionally spoke with reporters after morning skate — one thing that solely occurs when a participant is wholesome and will presumably play later that day.
“I am hoping so! We’ll see how warmups go and my nap, however yeah, it feels actually good,” Ekholm stated. “I believe it is largely been a dialog with our docs. I got here again twice and re-aggregated it about two months in the past and simply ensuring I am in a great place the place I cannot simply play however stand up to some blows.”
With Ekholm presumably coming into the lineup, the Oilers possible will sit Troy Stetcher, who’s sixth among the many workforce’s defensemen in ice time. Stetcher has been performed a job in how the Oilers went from watching what may have been a first-round knockout to solely shedding twice since April 23.
Knoblauch was requested if he thought of enjoying an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup to ease Ekholm into the workforce.
“We all know that he is able to go and we additionally know that we have got plenty of left-handed defensemen that may play huge minutes,” Knoblauch stated. “Darnell Nurse, Kulak, Walman — there’s three guys, and then you definitely’ve acquired Ekky on prime of that. There’s 4 left-handed defensemen, so, I do not suppose there’s any risk in his minutes getting over what they need to be. He is wholesome and we do not have to fret about that.”
Ekholm had spent everything of his profession with the franchise that drafted him, the Nashville Predators, earlier than he was traded to the Oilers forward of the commerce deadline in 2023 to provide them a dependable 6-foot-5 choice on the again finish who could possibly be trusted to play in a number of situations.
His first full marketing campaign in Edmonton noticed him rating a career-high 11 objectives and 45 factors whereas averaging 21:05 in ice time in 79 video games. Ekholm continued that into the playoffs with 5 objectives and 10 factors over 21:57 in ice time to assist the Oilers come again from a 3-0 sequence deficit to power Recreation 7 within the Stanley Cup last the place they finally misplaced to the Florida Panthers.
Previous to the damage, Ekholm was projected to have a consecutive season with greater than 10 objectives. He would end the common season with 9 objectives and 33 factors in 65 video games whereas his 22:11 in common ice time ranked third on the workforce behind Bouchard and Nurse.
“I will guess that it is a feel-out course of, however you will must ask the coaches about it,” Ekholm stated. “I do know we’re going with six (defensemen) if I am enjoying so that provides you an concept of it, however I really feel like I am prepared, I really feel like I can play. I have never performed shortly, so, will probably be a little bit of an adjustment, however I really feel nice. I do not suppose I am enjoying 26 minutes, however I believe I am able to considerably of a standard position.”
