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Mattias Ekholm Won’t Play In Second Round

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While the Oilers came back from a two-game deficit to beat Los Angeles in the first round, they won’t be getting any reinforcements on the back end for their next series against Vegas.  Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor relays (Twitter link) that blueliner Mattias Ekholm won’t be available to play in the second round.

The 34-year-old returned to the lineup late in the regular season after missing seven games due to an undisclosed injury.  However, he played just three shifts spanning 1:52 in that game before going down with an undisclosed injury that has kept him out of the lineup since then and will evidently hold him out for a couple more weeks at a minimum.

Ekholm’s absence is certainly a significant one.  He had a career year last season in his first full campaign with the team, notching 45 points while logging over 21 minutes a night.  This year, his output dipped a bit to 33 points in 65 games but his 22:12 ATOI was third on the team.

Notably, Ekholm was their anchor on the penalty kill during the regular season and his absence was certainly felt in the playoffs.  The Kings scored on 40% of their power play opportunities during the opening round as Edmonton struggled considerably when shorthanded but they’ll have to make do without their top defender on that unit for a while yet.

In Ekholm’s absence, Brett Kulak has taken on a much bigger role than usual while John Klingberg returned early in the first round and jumped into a top-four spot, a deployment that will likely continue when their series against the Golden Knights opens up next week.

Oilers Sign Alec Regula To Two-Year Extension

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The Oilers announced they’ve signed defenseman Alec Regula to a two-year, two-way extension. He’ll make $775K annually if he’s on the NHL roster. His minor league salary wasn’t disclosed.

Regula, 24, missed the entire 2024-25 season due to a knee injury he sustained during training camp with the Bruins. Boston gave him medical clearance to play in December and placed him on waivers to assign him to the AHL, but Edmonton submitted a claim. Upon arrival in Alberta, the Oilers’ medical staff held a different opinion from the Bruins’. Regula occasionally practiced with the club but has remained on the non-roster list since being claimed.

While he was set to be a restricted free agent this summer, he gets some early stability as he looks to get his development back on track following his lost season. The 2018 third-round pick of the Red Wings is now on his fourth organization, but he’s played well in the minors, just not well enough at the right time to get an extended NHL look. He has a 16-61–77 scoring line in 163 AHL games with a +42 rating, including a league-leading +36 rating with AHL Providence last season.

A 6’4″, 212-lb right-shot defender, he should be an intriguing candidate to watch for an opening-night job in Edmonton in the fall. While most of their current defense corps are signed through next season, aside from top pending RFA Evan Bouchard, he could be a cheap, more defensively responsible replacement for pending UFA John Klingberg on the right side. He’ll compete with names like Josh Brown, Cam Dineen, and Troy Stecher for a depth role out of the gate.

Regula will be 26 when his extension expires, technically making him an RFA upon expiry. If he fails to log 80 NHL games by that time, though (he only has 22 career appearances), he’ll qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency.

Ducks Linked To David Carle, Jay Woodcroft, Joel Quenneville

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Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is in the midst of his second search for a head coach after just his third full season in the club’s top role. After failed tenures with Dallas Eakins and Greg Cronin, Verbeek is pulling out all of the stops. Anaheim reportedly interviewed top coaching prospect David Carle and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft recently, and plan to also hold a second interview with record-holding head coach Joel Quenneville, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. LeBrun added that the trio of heavy-hitters aren’t the only names on Anaheim’s list.

Whoever lands in the Ducks’ head coaching vacancy will have one clear goal for next season: making the postseason. Verbeek put heavy emphasis on that goal in Anaheim’s final press conference of the season, and said he would be aggressive in the coaching circuit and free agency to achieve that goal. The Ducks haven’t made the postseason since 2018, when they closed a six-year run of playoff berths by getting swept by the San Jose Sharks. That Ducks squad leaned on clearly aged veterans – including a 32-year-old Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and a 33-year-old Ryan Kesler. Kesler retired and Perry left after the subsequent season, while Getzlaf hung up the skates in 2022. Those departures thrust the Ducks into a rebuild that Verbeek hopes to end with a return to the playoffs in 2026.

Anaheim will have some dazzling coaching candidates to choose from. Leading the pack is the coach with the second-most wins in NHL history. Quenneville hasn’t been deemed as a clear front-runner for the vacancy, but a second interview is a mighty bode of confidence for a man who was barred from coaching from 2021 to 2024, due to his involvement in assault allegations from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. There was only one coaching vacancy by the time Quenneville was reinstated late last summer, and he reportedly wasn’t considered for the role. That makes attention from Anaheim particularly notable, marking Quenneville’s first chance to prove himself after not coaching a full, 82-game season since 2019-20. He won three Stanley Cups with the dynasty-era Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Two strong candidates will headline the competition for Quenneville’s bid. Carle has gained plenty of acclaim from the hockey world after leading the University of Denver to two national championships in 2022 and 2024. Those rings have been intercut by a conference final loss in 2023 and a frozen four loss this season. He also won back-to-back World Juniors gold medals in each of the last two seasons. Carle has staked his claim as one of the most accomplished coaches in college hockey – a remarkable feat considering he is still only 35-years-old, with just seven years of head coach experience under his belt. Carle did withdraw his name from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks coaching vacancy, and is expected to return to the Denver Pioneers next season – but a strong pitch could convince the burgeoning coach to move to Southern California.

Woodcroft doesn’t have the multiple years of championship pedigree of Quenneville and Carle, though he did lead the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to a Calder Cup in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He was promoted to the NHL partway through the following season and led the Oilers to a pair of playoff berths before being axed after a 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 season. He is another young head coaching candidate with 20 years of experience behind pro benches. That could serve him well as Anaheim looks to strike a balance between winning now and building for their future.

Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck, Nikita Kucherov Named Hart Trophy Finalists

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Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and Lightning right-winger Nikita Kucherov have been named the Hart Trophy finalists as the NHL’s most valuable player for the 2024-25 season, the league announced today (via X).

Like most other major awards, the Hart is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. It’s one of the longest-running annual honors in the league, first presented in 1924. Each voter submits a five-player ballot with a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Compared with the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by the players for best player, Kucherov is the only carryover member in this year’s nominations.

Draisaitl and Kucherov are in the running to win the Hart for the second time in their careers, while Hellebuyck is a first-time finalist after finishing top 10 in voting in 2019-20 and 2023-24. He’s the first goalie to finish as a finalist for the award since the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22, and he’s aiming to be the first to win it since the Canadiens’ Carey Price in 2014-15.

Draisaitl, 29, has never been nominated for the Hart without winning it. He didn’t receive any votes last year after four straight years in the top 10, but rebounded with a vengeance in 2024-25 with a league-leading 52 goals despite missing 11 games due to injuries. It was the German superstar’s first time leading the league in goals, and his 11 game-winners led the league for the third time.

Hellebuyck wins a nomination in what will likely be an extremely tight vote when results are released following the announcement of the winner. The 31-year-old has continued his dominant run as the league’s best regular-season netminder over the past half-decade, posting a .925 SV% along with a league-leading 2.00 GAA, eight shutouts, 47 wins, and 41.6 goals saved above average – all career-highs, too – in 63 appearances.

As for Kucherov, he secures his second straight Hart nomination, along with the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading point-getter, for the second straight season. While his campaign ended in defeat at the hands of the Panthers in last night’s Game 5, he posted 84 assists and 121 points in 78 games in the regular season en route to the 31-year-old’s third career Hart nomination. With a win, the future Hall-of-Famer would join Alex Ovechkin as the only Russian in league history with multiple MVP awards.

Drake Caggiula Likely To Sign In Sweden

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Oilers pending unrestricted free agent forward Drake Caggiula appears likely to head overseas for the first time in his career. He’s received strong interest from Swedish Hockey League clubs Brynäs IF and Djurgårdens IF ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, the latter of which just gained promotion from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (per Tomas Ros and Hans Abrahamsson of Aftonbladet).

The 30-year-old Caggiula has spent the last two years primarily with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. It’s his second stint in the Oilers organization after beginning his professional career in Edmonton as an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2016. This season, the Ontario native led the Condors with 24 goals in 62 games and added 28 assists for 52 points. He also posted a +20 rating, the highest of his professional career.

Caggiula also saw brief NHL action for Edmonton, posting an assist in seven games over multiple call-ups early in the season. That marked his first NHL games in over a year and a half. He last appeared for the Penguins in March 2023.

A solid bottom-six scorer in Edmonton to begin his career, he hasn’t played more than 40 NHL games in a season since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and his chances of doing so again are slim given his age. It’s not entirely unsurprising to see a starring role in a top-flight European league look appealing to him compared to a more unstable minor-league lifestyle. The 5’10”, 179-lb forward has a 46-46–92 scoring line in 289 career NHL games with a -29 rating.

Oilers Recall Six Black Aces

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With the season officially over for their AHL affiliate, the Edmonton Oilers have boosted their NHL roster by calling up six black aces. The full list of recalls includes forwards Matthew Savoie, Noah Philp, and James Hamblin; defensemen Cam Dineen and Philip Kemp; and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue – per Bob Stauffer of 880 CHED. Stauffer adds that all seven black aces took part in the Oilers’ team skate on Saturday.

The most notable member of this group is undoubtedly Savoie, who stands as one of Edmonton’s top prospects and ranked second on the Bakersfield Condors in scoring with 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games this season. It was a statement rookie season for the young winger, after he showed a glimmer of strong pro play with five points in six AHL games last year. Savoie appeared in four NHL games earlier this season. He recorded one assist and a minus-four. But he was renowned for his playoff performances throughout three years in the WHL – where he combined for 65 points in 48 postseason games, capped off with a WHL championship.

While Savoie could offer a home run swing, Edmonton will also receiver quainter NHL impact from Philp, Rodrigue, and Dineen. Philp appeared in the first 15 games of his NHL career this season, recording two assists and a plus-one. He coupled those modest numbers with 19 goals and 35 points in 55 AHL games – matching his goal-scoring and falling two shy of his point totals from 70 AHL games last season. Dineen appeared in four NHL games and Rodrigue in two – both to quiet effect – but they were major pieces of the AHL lineup all season long. Dineen led all Condors defensemen in scoring with 43 points in 59 games. Rodrigue handled the AHL starting role and managed an 18-16-7 record and .897 save percentage in 41 games. All three players will offer clear bottom-of-the-lineup translatability should Edmonton be forced to lean on their depth.

The group of call-ups is rounded out by Hamblin and Kemp, who each received NHL minutes last season but spent the entirety of this year in the minors. Hamblin managed an encouraging 45 points in 51 games while rotating through a top-line wing role, while Kemp found himself down the lineup and only managed 12 points in 56 games. Both will likely be the last Black Ace tapped on, should Edmonton need to turn towards any of them.

Calvin Pickard Set To Start Game Three

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  • The Edmonton Oilers have announced goalie Calvin Pickard will start game three of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, per TSN. Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner in the third period of the team’s 6-2 loss in game two. Coach Kris Knoblauch noted the team will need a big game from Pickard, adding that the Oilers need “big saves at big times.” Pickard had a solid showing in the regular season, finishing with 22-10-1 record and .900 save percentage. Skinner, meanwhile, struggled for a starter with a .896 save percentage on the year through 51 appearances. And through two playoff starts, the 26-year-old holds a rough .810 save percentage and staggering 6.11 goals against average. If the Oilers have any hope of making another deep playoff run, they’ll need significantly better play between the pipes.

Evander Kane, John Klingberg Will Play In Game 2

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The Oilers suffered a dramatic loss in Game 1 to the Kings, with top-nine forward Evander Kane unavailable as he has been all season, having undergone multiple surgeries. He and defenseman John Klingberg, who’s been out since late March with a lower-body injury, have been cleared by Edmonton’s medical staff and will be in the lineup for Game 2 tonight as they try to even the series, head coach Kris Knoblauch said (via the team’s Tony Brar).

It’s not unexpected – Knoblauch said yesterday there was a strong possibility of both being cleared. Both ended the season on long-term injured reserve and will technically need to be activated. However, that’s an inconsequential move as roster limits and the salary cap are no longer in effect during the playoffs.

Tonight will be Kane’s first game since Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 10, so that’s 317 days between games. The 33-year-old played through a sports hernia to end last season and paid the price. He underwent surgery in September and also required corrective action on two torn hip adductors and lower abdominal muscles. He was initially expected to return around January, but a knee issue arose during his recovery that required surgery in early January. That kept him on LTIR for the balance of the regular season, although he’s been skating now for a couple of weeks.

When Kane is healthy, he’s been an impact player for the Oilers in the postseason. He led the playoffs with 13 goals in just 15 games in Edmonton’s run to the Western Conference Final in 2022 and has 20-10–30 in 47 postseason games as an Oiler overall. Edmonton will bank on him being an important secondary scoring option after Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins combined to score 48.3% of the Oilers’ total goals in the regular season.

In a follow-up report from Brar, it appears Kane will join Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman on the team’s second line, while Klingberg will play next to Jake Walman on the second defensive pairing. Although there’s nothing to pull from the 2024-25 campaign, the offensive trio combined for a 60.6% xGoals% last season in 83.1 minutes of action according to MoneyPuck. Should the Oilers receive something similar this evening and for the remainder of the series, the Kings will have a hard time defending against Edmonton’s offense.

Meanwhile, the Oilers have intelligently placed Klingberg next to a capable, defensive-minded blue liner. Despite nearly doubling his career-high in points this season, Walman is best known for his defensive prowess, earning an E +/- of 3.9 in 15 games with Edmonton after the trade deadline and an on-ice save percentage of 92.1% at even strength. In contrast, Klingberg had a lower performance, recording an E +/- of -1.9 over 11 games.

Evander Kane, John Klingberg Likely To Play In Game 2

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After giving up six goals on 30 shots, it was clear throughout Game One that the Edmonton Oilers could use some reinforcements. According to Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels, that could be a realistic possibility relatively soon.

Michaels publicized a note from Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch indicating that there’s a “very good possibility” Edmonton will have forward Evander Kane and defenseman John Klingberg for Game 2 in their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Neither player offers much in the defensive zone, but could prove valuable on the Oilers’ forecheck.

Kane will be the most interesting of the two to reinsert into the lineup. Despite letting in six goals, Edmonton still produced five, meaning Kane could give them the offensive edge to win the one-goal contests if their defense and goaltending struggle. Meanwhile, Klingberg failed to garner much offensive consistency with the Oilers in limited action this year, scoring one goal and four points in 11 games.

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Oilers To Activate John Klingberg, Evander Kane And Trent Frederic Close

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The Edmonton Oilers are expected to activate defenseman John Klingberg off of long-term injured reserve before Monday shares Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. Klingberg will be a Game 1 option for the Oilers as they prepare for a first round series against the Los Angeles Kings, after missing 20 of Edmonton’s last 21 games with a lower-body injury. Nugent-Bowman added that Evander Kane and Trent Frederic will also be close to full health in time for Game 1, though neither forward has been confirmed just yet.

Klingberg signed with the Oilers in late January. He took some time to get up to speed, but worked his way into the daily lineup through much of February. Head coach Kris Knoblauch rotated Klingberg through reps on all three defensive pairings. The 11-year-veteran averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time each game and found his way to four points, 13 blocked shots, and five hits. But Klingberg’s run at the Oilers’ lineup was short-lived, and he fell to injury after just 10 games. His departure came just ahead of the Trade Deadline, and could have been part of why Edmonton paid the lofty price of Carl Berglund and a first-round draft pick to acquire Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks. That’s proved the expert’s bet as the season’s second-half wrapped up, with Walman netting eight points in 15 games before the end of Edmonton’s season.

Klingberg attempted to return from his injury on March 27th – two weeks after he left the lineup. But he needed a longer recovery window, keeping the Oilers back from rostering a much-needed right-shot defenseman. Edmonton will get that benefit back just in time now – and at a perfect time too. The Oilers have already ruled out top-four defenseman Mattias Ekholm for the entire first round. Walman was also questionable for the start of the first round, though the defender told media on Friday that he feels ready to go. Walman will instantly assume a top-four role on Edmonton’s left-side, while the club decides between icing Klingberg – or one of Brett Kulak or Ty Emberson on their off-hand – to round out their right-side.

The Oilers could get more good news out of Frederic or Kane soon. The former was another Trade Deadline pickup, but has only managed one appearance with the Oilers since March. Frederic has been coping with an ankle injury, but made his return to full practice in the skates leading up to the first round. If he is indeed headed back to the lineup, he’ll bring a mix of shooting luck and heavy-frame physicality needed to back up Edmonton’s superstars. Kane could bring the same mix, though he missed the entirety of the regular season with a mix of injuries and surgeries. Frederic recorded eight goals and 15 points in 57 games with the Boston Bruins prior to his trade to Edmonton; while Kane scored 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games last season. It seems Frederic will be the healthier of the two, though both could factor into Edmonton’s bottom-six over the course of round one.

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