The Edmonton Oilers’ next summer will be clouded by record-setting contract negotiations, but they’ll have a heap of top talent to re-sign behind Connor McDavid. Top of the list will be defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who expressed a strong desire to stick around in a recent conversation with Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor. The 35-year-old defenseman said:
Absolutely I want to stay in Edmonton, but I know you have to take care of the big boys first. Once [Connor McDavid] gets [signed] I’m sure we will talk.
Ekholm was narrowly Edmonton’s third defenseman last season. He averaged 22:12 in ice time each game while rotating in-and-out of a top pair role with Darnell Nurse, who averaged 22:22. His year ended with an impressive nine goals and 33 points in 65 games – the second-highest scoring season he’s had since 2020. He managed his highest last year, when he scored 11 goals and 45 points in 75 games.
Even in his sunset years, Ekholm has remained an active impact in all three zones. He shows no signs of wavering any time soon, and offers Edmonton’s blue-line unique veteran value. But he’ll be 36 by the time he’s playing out his next contract. That will cap his next deal in both price and term. He’s wrapping up a four-year, $25MM deal originally signed with the Nashville Predators in 2021. Halving that deal could be an interesting start for next summer’s negotiations, though Ekholm could surely earn a bit more after two proficient seasons in Edmonton.
Ekholm is easily expendable at the deadline, He’s 35, But something tells me Stan Nepotism Bowman will find a way to overpay him.
Easily Edmonton’s best overall defenseman. Probably worth a 2 year deal at slightly reduced per anum, say something in the range of 5.25-5.5 per by 2 years. Cap is expected to significantly increase in the next few years and he should continue to be worth roughly that value for at least 2 year.
Nepotism: the act of hiring or facoring family, friends and associates. Considering that Ekholm played only for the Predators before coming to Edmonton and Bowman never worked there then how do you think re signing Ekholm would be nepotism sparky? they’ve only been in the same organization for what? a couple years? or are they somehow related? father and son perhaps? so by your definition would re signing McDavid be nepotism because McDavid and Bowman are associates? seems to me that every player resi signed by their team would be a case of nepotism if re signing Ekholm was. the fact is that Ekholm is a solid defenseman and Edmonton needs solid defensemen if they want to be successful. your comment is positively asinine. the Oilers won’t be in a financial position to overpay Ekholm after getting McDavid inked. Ekholm is just going to get the leftover scraps… if he gets re signed at all. and how would you propose they replace their number three D man of they don’t bring him back with the little bit of money that they’ll have? I’m no fan of the Oilers or McDavid or Bowman but I’ve been watching hockey for darn near 50 years and I can say with near certainty that giving strong consideration to bringing Ekholm back would be a prudent thing to do. this is professional hockey sparky, and like all professional sports nepotism is strongly ingrained in it. but Bowman resigning Ekholm would be an extremely weak example of it.
I don’t know how you’ve been watching hockey for almost 50 years and it went over your head Scott Bowman is Stan Bowman’s son- that is the nepotism he is speaking of
So 91 year old Scotty Bowman is the son of 52 year old Stan Bowman. Thanks for that.