Analyst Suggests Oilers Targeting Mattias Ekholm Replacement in Trade
The Edmonton Oilers are deep in the trade market to acquire a defenceman this season, and some analysts suggest they'll be looking for a long term replacement for Mattias Ekholm.
Right now the Oilers blue line looks fantastic, but Mattias Ekholm will turn 35 years old win just a few months.
Ekholm is under contract for the next two seasons at $6.25M, and he will continue to be an important role player for the Oilers in that time, but time will move quickly and his play will deteriorate.
Hockey analyst DJ Bean spoke with OilersNation on the eventual need to line up an Ekholm replacement.
It's very possible that the Oilers will re-sign Ekholm until he's 37 years old or longer, but at that point it would be irresponsible to expect him to play the responsibilities of a top pair defenceman.
Will the Edmonton Oilers Need to Queue Up a Replacement For Ekholm as he Ages?
Oilers analyst Bruce Curlock even hinted that the team's new defence pairings in practice, which feature Ekholm on the second pair, may be a solution to reduce the wear on Ekholm as he ages.
Ekholm is playing well over 20 minutes most games, with some nights reaching upwards of 25 minutes.
For an older player this may be unsustainable usage according to Curlock, but it also shows the desperate need the Oilers will have to have a replacement lined up.
Some fans believe that Penguins defenceman Marcus Pettersson, who the Oilers have previously been linked to, may be an adequate player to line up behind Ekholm for the future.
The 28 year old Swedish defenceman is posting great analytics with the Penguins in the last two years, even as Pittsburgh struggles. Last season, Pettersson had a career best year with 30 points and an impressive +28 rating.
It's very difficult to think of what this Oilers team would be without the strong two-way play of Ekholm on the blue line. They won't have to trade Ekholm to get Pettersson, but he may be the next Ekholm.
To make the most of the Cup contention window with McDavid and Draisaitl's careers, Edmonton does need to keep an eye to the future, and make sure they've got another player coming.
