Ekholm notched an assist, four shots on goal, two blocked shots and a minus-3 rating in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Ekholm has racked up four assists over the last three games, though he has a minus-2 rating in that span. The 35-year-old helped out on a Connor McDavid tally in the third period. Ekholm is up to one goal, five assists, 13 shots on net, 13 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-2 rating over six appearances this postseason while featuring in a top-four role.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Dishes pair of assists
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Ekholm logged two assists, three shots on goal, four blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over the Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Ekholm helped out on a Darnell Nurse goal during the Oilers' second-period comeback, and he also assisted on Leon Draisaitl's game-winner in overtime. The 35-year-old Ekholm continues to be exactly what the Oilers need in a top-four role. He has a goal, four assists, a plus-5 rating, 14 PIM, nine shots on net and 11 blocked shots over five playoff appearances.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Buries goal Wednesday
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Ekholm scored a goal on four shots, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Ekholm's tally at 6:33 of the third period tied the game at 3-3, and it was enough to force overtime. He's picked up a goal, an assist, four shots, four blocks and a plus-4 rating over two games since returning from an undisclosed injury that limited him to one game in a two-month span from late March to late May. Ekholm's ability to play heavy defensive minutes will be critical to the Oilers' success in this series against the Panthers -- he had three points and a plus-1 rating over seven games versus Florida in last year's Cup Finals.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Assist in return from injury
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Ekholm (undisclosed) played 15:52 in Thursday's 6-3 win in Game 5. He picked up an assist.
Ekholm was also active in the lanes during his playoff debut Thursday, blocking two shots. He acts as a ballast for the Edmonton defense corps and will be especially valuable against the heavy, aggressive Panthers as the two teams battle to lift Lord Stanley.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Set to play in Game 5
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will draw into the lineup for Game 5 against Dallas on Thursday.
Ekholm had already been listed as an option to return, but it wasn't initially clear if he'd immediately play or receive a little more time before drawing into the lineup. However, Ekholm will officially make his 2025 playoff debut Thursday. He's projected to serve on the top pairing alongside Evan Bouchard, and Edmonton is expected to go with a 12-6 configuration, which implies that Ekholm isn't being eased back in. Troy Stecher is set to be a healthy scratch after dressing in the past six games.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Available for Thursday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) is available to draw into the lineup for Thursday's Game 5 in Dallas, according to Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton.
Although Edmonton has allowed just two goals over its past three games, getting Ekholm back would nevertheless be a meaningful boost to the team's defense. The 35-year-old had nine goals, 33 points, 30 PIM, 143 shots, 42 hits and 95 blocks across 65 regular-season games, but he hasn't played in the 2025 playoffs due to the injury. The Oilers might dress seven defensemen in an effort to ease Ekholm back into the lineup, but a 12-6 split is also an option, especially with Connor Brown (undisclosed) and Zach Hyman (upper body) expected to be unavailable.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Remains out Tuesday
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Ekholm (undisclosed) will not be available for Game 4 against the Stars on Tuesday, per Ryan Rishaug of TSN.
Ekholm last suited up in the regular season April 11 against San Jose, so his ice time will most likely be managed once he's cleared to return to the lineup. Troy Stecher will probably be a healthy scratch when that time comes. Ekholm's next chance to play will be in Game 5 on Thursday in Dallas.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Game-time call heading into Game 4
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Ekholm (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's Game 4 versus Dallas, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.
Ekholm has yet to get into a postseason contest due to his lingering undisclosed injury. In his 65 regular-season appearances this year, the veteran blueliner notched nine goals and 24 assists, including seven power-play points, and could offer decent depth production once cleared to play.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Remains unavailable
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Ekholm (undisclosed) won't play against Dallas on Sunday in Game 3, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Ekholm hasn't played yet this playoffs after missing 16 of Edmonton's final 21 games of the 2024-25 regular season. He is day-to-day ahead of Tuesday's Game 4 matchup versus the Stars.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Not ruled out of Games 3 and 4
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Per Ryan Rishaug of TSN on Saturday, head coach Kris Knoblauch has not ruled Ekholm (undisclosed) out of Games 3 and 4 against Dallas.
Ekholm is still day-to-day, according to Knoblauch. He has missed 23 of the last 24 games, seeing just 1:52 of ice time against the Stars on March 26. Should Ekholm return to the lineup, John Klingberg could become the odd man out.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Unavailable for Games 1 and 2
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Per Ryan Rishaug of TSN, Ekholm (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Knoblauch is optimistic that Ekholm will return at some point in Round 3, as the left-shot defenseman has missed 21 of the Oilers' last 22 games, seeing only 1:52 of ice time April 11 in his only outing since March 26 versus Dallas. Ekholm had nine goals, 24 assists, 143 shots and 95 blocked shots across 65 regular-season games in 2024-25.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Resumes skating
Rotowire
Ekholm (undisclosed) has resumed skating but isn't close to being ready to return to the lineup, according to Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk on Monday.
Ekholm spent most of March and April on the shelf due to a lingering injury before being ruled out indefinitely near the end of the regular season. He is still weeks away from playing, and a potential return to the lineup in the postseason remains unclear. Ekholm had nine goals, 33 points, 143 shots on net, 95 blocked shots and 42 hits across 65 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
Ekholm (undisclosed) is reportedly making progress but is unlikely to be available until after the second round, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports Monday.
Ekholm will not only need the Oilers to get past the Kings in the first round -- the series is currently tied 2-2 -- but probably make it to the Western Conference Finals. Getting the veteran back would certainly bolster the Oilers' blue line, considering he put up a solid 33 points in 65 regular-season games when healthy this year.
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
Rotowire
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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