Oilers warned their decision on Mattias Ekholm may be a major mistake

According to recent reports from insider Bob Stauffer, the Oilers are likely looking to sign Mattias Ekholm to a contract extension this offseason - a deal that will kick the season he turns 37 years old.

The 6'5 Swedish defenceman now has some serious mileage in his NHL career at 884 games, much of them playing top pair minutes in the hardest defensive assignments.

The Oilers saw a major dip in Ekholm's play this season as he struggled with undisclosed injuries and illnesses that kept him out of the lineup for much of the second half of the season. This was his age 35 season, and those problems could get worse in two more years.

Oilers analyst David Staples warned that the team offering Ekholm a contract extension now may be premature. It may be best to wait and see how he performs this year, and how his body holds up with another year.

It's incredibly tough to doubt a fan favourite and incredible player like Ekholm, but handing out a bad contract doesn't help the Oilers.

Ekholm may see a continuation of the injury problems this season, or struggle to get a step back from last year, and could find himself dropping in the lineup. It's fair to assume that he won't play top pairing with Bouchard until his final NHL game before retirement - and the Oilers have Walman now on the left side.

Edmonton should be patient with a Ekholm deal for now, and wait to see how he performs this season before committing to keeping him until he's 37.