Analyst warns against Oilers signing top defenceman Mattias Ekholm
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With Mattias Ekholm's contract set to expire July 1, 2026, the question is not so much if he'll sign an extension with the Oilers, but for how long are the Oilers willing to retain him.
Since being paired with defenseman Evan Bouchard upon his arrival from Nashville in 2023, Mattias Ekholm has been a calming presence on the blueline, helping to stabilize the Oilers' break-out, a key factor given the team's offensive style of play.
Ekholm's age and recovery from injury could factor into team's negotiation for a contract-extension
Though Mattias has been a reliable top-pairing D-man whose skills are relied upon in almost every situation (eating-up big minutes, PK, disrupting rushes), his injury late last season, and his advancing age bring to question the term of his next contract with the Oilers.
"I'm getting older," Ekholm said in an interview recently. "I'm not saying I'm gonna get hurt again or anything like that. But I do understand now - and it's on me too - knowing that [if] you are going to play in all these games and all these events, you might take a practice off here and there.
You want to stay healthy too, and you want to stay fresh. Otherwise you can't play at the top of your game. If you're going to play all these games, then yeah, you've got to have to be smart about it.»
You want to stay healthy too, and you want to stay fresh. Otherwise you can't play at the top of your game. If you're going to play all these games, then yeah, you've got to have to be smart about it.»
There is no question Mattias will remain an important fixture on Edmonton's blueline, but for how long can he remain so. When he returned to the lineup in last year's playoffs, his play was hindered from his late-season injury; he wasn't able to perform to his capacity in the Finals against Florida.
That is one question that Stan Bowman will consider going into next season. The other is a matter of priority and cap hit. Jake Walman is also set to become a free agent next summer, and will likely get a raise.
How long then is Mattias Ekholm willing to stay in Edmonton. If he agreed to a shorter-term deal, say 2 years, then it would make sense for the Oilers, say at a smaller AAV.
But if Ekholm were to stand firm on a longer term of more than 2-3 years, and at an AAV north of $6M, then the Oilers would have a dilemma on its hands, and may just let his contract expire next summer, and prioritize Jake Walman as a potential partner for Evan Bouchard.
Much of what the Oilers decide to do will likely depend on Ekholm's performance in his contract year. He may just continue surprise us all
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