The Edmonton Oilers could get a major boost from the return of injured blue liner Mattias Ekholm for Game 4 of the team’s Western Conference Final series against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.
Ekholm has yet to play this postseason as he remains rehabbing an injury sustained toward the end of the regular season. He missed a handful of games down the stretch and then the first two series against the LA Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights.
According to Ekholm, he could be back in the lineup soon. Ekholm addressed the media following the team’s practice on Monday morning, stating:
“I feel really good. Whether I think it’s imminent, I think it’s going to be soon at least, and whether it’s tomorrow or the next game, or whatever it is, I’m happy with my body.”
While Ekhom didn’t narrow the timeline down, his comments underscore that Ekholm could suit up for the Oilers before the end of their current series. The team still has two more games to play unless the Stars force the series to six games with a win on Tuesday night.
The Edmonton blue liner added:
“I’m happy the way I feel, and really excited about where the team’s at and how they’re playing.”
Check out Ekholm’s comments here:
The Oilers have missed Ekholm on their blue line, especially Evan Bouchard, Ekholm’s defense partner.
But considering how the club has played since Game 3 of their opening-round series, Ekholm’s return would only solidify an already strong club.
Ekholm’s return could create a good problem for Oilers
A piece published in The Athletic on May 26 looked at the “problem” the Oilers would face upon Mattias Ekhom’s return to the lineup. Namely, that problem would be which of the current blue line group would come out of the lineup to accommodate Ekholm.
As Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch noted, per The Athletic:
“We’ll do what’s best for our team and what’s best for him.”
That’s a politically correct soundbite indicating that the Oilers will find a way to fit everyone into the lineup, even at the expense of a solid, if unspectacular defenseman.
But as The Athletic noted, Ekholm’s superb two-way game is too good to leave sitting in the press box if he’s healthy enough to play. Ekholm’s status is “undecided” at the moment, meaning that he could be a game-time decision ahead of Game 4 against the Stars at Rogers Place on Tuesday night.
If Ekholm is ready to roll, the team could sit one of Troy Stecher or John Klingberg. Klingberg scored in Edmonton’s 6-1 win on Sunday afternoon. As for Stecher, he’s been solid in the bottom-pairing, filling in nicely while Ekholm has been absent.
Ekholm acknowledged his teammates’ solid efforts, declaring:
“You look at (Troy) Stecher right now. He’s playing unbelievable. John (Klingberg, too). All these guys have come in and play really well.”
Knoblauch will have a tough decision ahead of him once Ekholm is ready to return. Whatever the team decides, it will hopefully lead to the team’s first Stanley Cup since 1990.
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Edited by Nestor Quixtan
