Ekholm (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Thursday versus the Sharks, Bob Stauffer of the Oilers Radio Network reports.
Ekholm was a game-time decision, but he looks to be no worse for wear. The 35-year-old will play in a top-pairing role Thursday. Ekholm has seven points over his last five outings and offers strong all-around production for fantasy.
Ekholm (undisclosed) will be a game-time call versus San Jose on Thursday, per Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton.
Ekholm has not missed a game this season and is coming off the best offensive game in his NHL career, as he potted a hat trick Monday versus Anaheim. Ekholm missed practice Wednesday and while he skated Thursday, the Oilers are still up in the air to put him in the lineup. Ekholm has six goals, 20 assists, 95 shots on goal, 50 hits and 87 blocked shots across 54 games this season.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Deemed day-to-day
Rotowire
Ekholm (undisclosed) is day-to-day ahead of Thursday's home game with the Sharks, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reports.
Ekholm didn't participate in Wednesday's practice and is questionable for Thursday's contest. The news comes just two days after he scored his first career hat trick, which highlights his recent seven-point, five-game run of scoring. Overall, the 35-year-old blueliner has six goals, 26 points, 95 shots on net, 50 hits and 87 blocked shots across 54 games this season. He will likely have to rejoin the mix at Thursday's practice if he wants a chance play against the Sharks.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Scores hat trick
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Ekholm scored three goals in Monday's 7-4 win over the Ducks.
Ekholm is not known for his scoring ability, as he hadn't scored a goal in 22 games between his previous tally and this hat trick. He scored twice in the second period and later closed out the scoring with an empty-netter in the final frame. Ekholm has six goals on the season, but he's not likely to become a regular fantasy contributor overnight. There's a big chance this performance was just an outlier.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Dishes pair of assists
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Ekholm notched two assists, two PIM and a plus-3 rating in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Blues.
Ekholm snapped a six-game slump with this effort, helping out on both of Zach Hyman's tallies. The 35-year-old Ekholm hadn't posted a multi-point effort since Dec. 4 versus the Kraken. The veteran defenseman has 21 points (three goals, 18 assists), 86 shots on net, 81 blocked shots, 48 hits, 20 PIM and a plus-15 rating over 50 appearances. He's on pace to reach the 30-point mark for the fifth straight year, and he offers decent non-scoring production even though his offense has faltered at times.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Deposits goal in win
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Ekholm scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and blocked two shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Red Wings.
While Zach Hyman had a hat trick for the Oilers, Ekholm's goal was their game-winner. The defenseman has two goals and seven assists over his last eight contests, as he's greatly benefited from the team's improved offense. He's up to three goals, 16 points, 63 shots on net, 25 hits, 53 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating through 31 outings overall. Ekholm is a mainstay in Edmonton's top four and offers all-around production in fantasy.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Gathers two helpers in win
Rotowire
Ekholm notched two assists, three hits and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 9-4 win over the Kraken.
Ekholm has been productive with a goal and five helpers over his last five games. That follows a stretch in which he had just one assist over 12 outings. The 35-year-old defenseman is vital to the Oilers' defensive efforts, so scoring will often take a backseat to protecting his own zone, though he can be a strong all-around contributor in the best of times. For the year, he has two goals, 11 helpers, 56 shots on net, 49 blocked shots, 22 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 28 appearances.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Three points in Florida
Rotowire
Ekholm scored a goal on three shots on net and added two assists, two hits and a plus-5 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Panthers.
The Oilers' top pairing of Ekholm and Evan Bouchard combined for six points and a dominant plus-10 rating on the night. It was Ekholm's first multi-point performance since Oct. 28, and his first three-point effort since March 18 of last season. For the current campaign, the veteran blueliner has two goals, 10 points, 49 shots on net, 48 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 24 contests.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Earns pair of points Tuesday
Rotowire
Ekholm scored a goal on two shots, added an assist, logged two hits and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Mammoth.
Ekholm continued his recent run of strong offense with his first multi-point effort of the season. The 35-year-old blueliner got the Oilers on the board 22 seconds into the middle frame, then assisted on Ty Emberson's go-ahead goal later in the period. Ekholm has earned all six of his points this season over the last six contests. He's added 20 shots on net, 26 blocked shots, nine hits and a minus-4 rating across 11 appearances in a top-four role.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Re-ups with team
Rotowire
Ekholm secured a three-year, $12 million contract extension with Edmonton on Wednesday.
Ekholm will take a slight cut in his AAV when his extension kicks in next season, as he is currently earning $6.25 million against the cap in 2025-26. It seems the leadership of captain Connor McDavid, who also signed an extension well below market value, is rubbing off on the rest of the squad. Injuries limited Ekholm to just 65 games last year, but he still managed to generate nine goals and 24 helpers, including seven power-play points.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Played injured during Cup Finals
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Ekholm played the entire 2025 Stanley Cup Finals with a torn adductor muscle, Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal reported Friday.
Ekholm is healthy heading into training camp. The injury hindered the 35-year-old during Edmonton's six-game series versus Florida, as he was unable to skate to his full capacity. Ekholm is entering the final season of a four-year, $21 million contract he signed in October of 2021 with Nashville. He had nine goals, 24 assists, 143 shots on goal and 95 blocked shots across 65 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.
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Oilers' Mattias Ekholm: Adds helper in loss
Rotowire
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: Buries goal Wednesday
Rotowire
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: Set to play in Game 5
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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: Unavailable for Games 1 and 2
Rotowire
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: Doubtful in round two
Rotowire
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.
