The Edmonton Oilers secured their spot in the postseason with a commanding 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks a few days ago, marking their sixth consecutive playoff appearance. However, despite the good news, star Connor McDavid will be without an important teammate for the crucial moments of the 2024-25 NHL season, when the team faces the Los Angeles Kings.
In the first round, McDavid and the Oilers will play against the LA team for the fourth consecutive year. It will be a tough challenge, as this time the Kings will have home-ice advantage after finishing ahead of Edmonton in the divisional standings.
In the hours leading up to a new playoff run, defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the first round of the Stanley Cup postseason against the Kings due to an undisclosed injury. The 34-year-old veteran had recently returned after missing seven games for the Oilers between late March and early April.
When will Ekholm play for the Oilers again?
Ekholm’s return to the ice didn’t go as expected, as the Oilers defenseman played only three shifts before leaving the game against the San Jose Sharks. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t provide a specific timeline but confirmed that the 34-year-old player will be out “for a while” and won’t be available for the first round of the playoffs.
Mattias Ekholm of the Oilers
During the regular season, Ekholm recorded 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 65 games. His absence will be tough to replace for an Oilers team looking to tighten up defensively in order to maximize McDavid’s impact on the offensive end.
see also
Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch delivers discouraging update on Connor McDavid’s star teammate ahead of playoff matchup vs Kings
Recent NHL playoffs meetings between Kings and Oilers
Over the past three seasons, the Oilers and Kings have faced off consecutively in the first round of the NHL playoffs, with Edmonton coming out on top each time. In 2022, they won the series 4-3, followed by a 4-2 victory in 2023, and a 4-1 triumph last year.
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