Oilers Update: Mattias Ekholm out long-term with injury

Ekholm’s injury more serious than initially thought

The left-shot defenceman has been a vital part of the team since joining the Oilers, playing alongside defence partner Evan Bouchard. Clearly, this will be a huge loss for the Oilers, who were already dealing with a number of injuries.

Ekholm has been dealing with injuries throughout the season and appeared to reinjure himself against the San Jose Sharks after returning to the lineup. There were injury concerns even before the 4 Nations Face-Off, where Ekholm got healthy enough to play for team Sweden. 

Oilers have been unlucky with injuries all year

Naturally, fans are questioning some of the injury management—not just for Ekholm in particular but also for their entire lineup. Recently, both Leon Draisaitl and Trent Frederic seemed to re-aggravate injuries shortly after returning to the lineup. The team seemed to be cautious with captain Connor McDavid, who reportedly forced his way into the lineup earlier this week. 

No player can individually replace Ekholm in the Oilers lineup, and the team’s overall lack of healthy options certainly does them no favours. Whoever is ready to play in the playoffs will have to be ready to carry an even greater workload without Ekholm. The Oilers will have to pull together, but undoubtedly, their chances of making it further than last season are diminished.