Oilers confirm crushing news for defenceman Mattias Ekholm

There's been some speculation that the Oilers would sit Ekholm in the press box while he works through the issue that's ailing him. Now, that action seems to be happening.

According to reporters at Oilers practice, Coach Knoblauch confirmed that the team may shut down Ekholm for some stretch of time. It seems doubtful that Ekholm will play against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow, and beyond that may sit for longer.

Ekholm was first reported to be dealing with an illness and began missing practices back in the month of January. He's been able to remain in the lineup since this time, but had missed multiple practice and his play on the ice isn't up the quality of last season.

Last game against the Anaheim Ducks, Ekholm played a strangely low ice time of only 17:59, and was practically shut down in the third period. Combined with his decline in results, it's clear Ekholm is dealing with a serious problem.

If this is a strong and lingering illness, it may be a real cause for concern for the Oilers. Being sick for months on end must be gruelling on a 34 year old defenceman playing top pairing minutes every game.

For now, missing Ekholm will have a crushing effect on the Edmonton Oilers. He plays a critical role not only in minutes, but in shutting down the opposition's best players with his quality defensive play. Without him in the lineup, there will be much more chances against the Oilers weak goalies.

For the longer term, the Oilers sitting Ekholm out for a duration of time will let him heal up and give him the strength needed for the stretch run of the season and the playoffs. At this point, the Oilers should be concerned for one thing only: getting their players to peak in April.