The Edmonton Oilers received some tough news regarding blue liner Mattias Ekholm. According to insider Ryan Rishaug, Ekholm will be on the shelf for an extended period with the possibility of missing the remainder of the season.
Ekholm suited up for Friday’s game against the San Jose Sharks but left after two shifts. Apparently, Ekholm re-aggravated the injury that had kept him on the shelf since April 2.
With the Oilers already down trade deadline acquisition Jake Walman and placing John Klingberg on LTIR, the Oilers will be looking for internal options to fill the void left behind by Mattias Ekholm’s loss.
So, here’s a look at the top three replacements for Mattias Ekholm should the top-pairing blue liner remain on the shelf for the rest of the season.
Top 3 Mattias Ekholm replacements for Oilers’ blue liner if season-ending injury is confirmed
#3 Cam Dineen
Following Friday night’s game, the Oilers recalled Cam Dineen from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Dineen’s promotion wasn’t intended to replace Mattias Ekholm necessarily, but to take up the roster spot now open since Ekholm won’t likely play for the remainder of the regular season.
Dineen most likely returns to the bottom pairing with Troy Stecher as all other Oilers’ blueliners move up a spot. While Dineen might get a look on the second pairing, his role will be on the bottom pairing.
#2 Brett Kulak
Oilers fans have seen Brett Kulak step up to the top pairing in the past when injuries have taken over the team’s blue line.
At the moment, Kulak is skating on the second pairing. However, Kulak could get bumped to the top pairing with Evan Bouchard, trading places with Darnell Nurse.
Kulak has proven to be a solid defensive defenseman with some offensive upside. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see coach Kris Knoblauch try to spice things up by inserting Kulak alongside Bouchard.
#1 Darnell Nurse
Darnell Nurse has been skating with Bouchard for the bulk of the time Mattias Ekholm has been on the shelf. As such, Nurse seems like the most logical choice to play alongside Bouchard in Ekholm’s role.
The only downside is that Nurse is an offense-first defenseman. In contrast, Ekholm is a defense-first defenseman.
Nevertheless, Nurse can also supplant Ekholm on the second power play unit, making Nurse the best choice to replace Ekholm while he’s out of the lineup.
That situation could change once Jake Walman comes back from injury. Walman could get a look on the top pairing or slide down to the second pairing to add further stability to the Oilers’ blue line.
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Edited by Nestor Quixtan
