Mattias Ekholm makes playoff debut with Edmonton Oilers after injury
Better late than never, Mattias Ekholm has rejoined the Edmonton Oilers on their path to a Stanley Cup Finals rematch against the Florida Panthers.
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The veteran Swedish defenceman was reinserted into the lineup to make his 2024-25 playoff debut Thursday in Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars, at the same time Zach Hyman had to be taken out after undergoing surgery to repair a reported broken wrist one day earlier.
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And while the Oilers will certainly miss Hyman's offence and physicality — he leads the NHL with 111 hits in these playoffs — the blow is softened by the return of the team's staunchest defender for the past two seasons.
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'I think that I'm just going to go out and play my game,' Ekholm, who turned 35 last week, said following Thursday's morning skate at American Airlines Center. 'If I go out there and try to play somewhat safe, or whatnot, it's not going to suit us very well anyway.
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'So, I'm just going to go out in the first couple shifts and obviously make the simple play. But other than that, I'm looking to play my game. That's how I've been successful in this league, that's how I've got to be. It's going to be probably a little bit harder than normal, knowing that I haven't played in a while, but at the same time, just go out and do my thing, and hopefully that will help the team to success.'
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The last time we saw Ekholm on the ice was April 11 against the San Jose Sharks, where he lasted all of two shifts, totalling 1:52 of ice time before disappearing down the hallway with training staff.
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He missed nine of the final 11 regular-season games and 15 of the final 20 with the undisclosed injury.
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'Obviously, I came back twice and kind of reaggravated it about two months ago,' he said. 'Just making sure I'm in a good spot where I can not just play, but also withstand some blows.
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'And that's what playoffs are all about, you're going to get hit, you're going to get knocked down, and just be able to know that I am strong enough to be in a position where I can not only play, but just defend myself, as well.'
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'I feel like I'm ready,' Ekholm said. 'I feel like I can play. Obviously, I haven't played in a while, so it will be a bit of an adjustment, but I feel great.
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'I don't think I'm playing 26 minutes, but I do think I'm ready to play somewhat of a normal role.'
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It looked like Ekholm was nothing short of the linchpin holding the entire Oilers team together when they opened the playoffs without him, with back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Kings, who outscored Edmonton by a combined 12-7 in those games.
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