Major Turn Of Events For Mattias Ekholm On Friday

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Joshua Deeds
October 7, 2023 (2:49)

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The Edmonton Oilers had been missing Mattias Ekholm's presence on the ice.

Due to his hip flexor injury, he had been unable to skate or train. In a surprising turn of events, Ekholm showed up for practice today.

It is hoped the defenseman will be ready for opening night, but nothing is confirmed at this time.

Ekholm skated with main group this morning. He won't play tonight. Said he can't say for sure if he'll he ready opening night because this injury has taken longer to heal than he originally thought.

McLeod won't play tonight, but he expects to be ready for opening night.

According to the 33-year-old, rehab is boring and taking longer than he expected. He wishes he could heal faster.

The reality is, he mentioned that during the season, you won't have much time to recover from injuries, so you need to take care of them now.

"It's been going on a bit longer than I'd anticipated," said Ekholm about his hip. "I thought I'd be full-on a couple of weeks ago.

"(Rehab is) kinda boring for sure. It isn't the most fun."

The 33-year-old noted that this time of year is the time to make sure you get these types of niggling things taken care of. "You don't have much time to heal during the season, " added Ekholm, "so taking the time now to do it and do it for real, that's where we're at."

Will he be ready for the opening night roster after practicing with the main group? The same as before, nothing is confirmed.

As also noted by Allan Mitchell in The Athletic, "Ekholm's presence on the roster was good enough to reduce the goals-against per 60 at five-on-five by a full goal down the stretch (2.69 GA down to 1.69 GA with him) in a breathtaking run for the club."

Adding Ekholm to the Oilers last season strengthened the team's blueline and elevated Evan Bouchard's play.

The Ekholm-Bouchard pairing outscored their opponents 27-8. In addition to playing 76 and 78 games with the Predators the last two seasons, Ekholm has played 80 games in five straight seasons.

As Seen On: nhltraderumors.me