The Edmonton Oilers have been doing a lot lately. Not only them extended Connor McDavidbut could also work out one seven-year contract with Jake Walman. On the evening of their first game of the 2025-2026 season, it was announced that they had signed Jack Roslovic to a one-year contract. In this piece, however, we’re going to talk about another move they made, signing Mattias Ekholm to a three-year extension.
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Ekholm has been with the Oilers since the takeover from the Nashville Predators at the 2023 trade deadline. He has been an absolute force on the back end since he was signed and has proven to have excellent chemistry with Evan Bouchard. Suffice it to say, many Oilers fans were excited to see him get a new deal to stay in Edmonton.
Even better, in the eyes of many, was the value of the deal. Despite still being a first-pair defender, he was signed to only one three-year, $12 million deal with a cap hit of $4 million. Like McDavid, there’s no question that Ekholm has left money on the table to keep the Oilers competitive. That said, this still might not be the steal that Oilers fans make it out to be.
Ekholm is coming off a serious injury
Ekholm was limited to just 65 regular season games in 2024-25, missing all but one of the first three rounds of the playoffs. He was able to get back into the lineup for the Stanley Cup Final, although it was clear he was still quite injured, which took away from his usual effectiveness.
Ekholm recently revealed that he was playing through a torn adductor. He says he is healthy and ready for the 2025-2026 regular season, although one wonders if injuries will become an increasingly common theme for the 35-year-old, who plays a very physical style of hockey.
In addition to last season’s serious injury, Ekholm’s age itself cannot be ignored. Before he got hurt, he was still playing at a very high level, someone who deserves a cap hit well over $4 million. That said, the deal doesn’t take effect until he’s 36, an age when most players start to show a big decline. He will be 38 by the time the final year of his contract expires. It’s more than fair to wonder whether or not he’ll make a positive impact on the lineup at that point.
Oil companies may regret this deal
Considering the player Ekholm was prior to his injury in 2024-2025, you can understand why the Oilers brass didn’t want to let him go. Their blue line has been questioned many times in the past and was significantly strengthened when they were able to acquire the Swedish blueliner. That said, the money they wanted to give him could become a burden in the coming years.
The Oilers have made an effort to get younger lately, but are still one of the oldest teams in the NHL. Their apparent transition to being younger makes it somewhat puzzling as to why they chose to keep Ekholm around, rather than letting him walk and replacing him with a younger player.
Related: McDavid’s short-term deal doesn’t mean he isn’t fully committed to the Oilers
What makes things all the more interesting is that McDavid’s recent two-year extension is likely partly due to the fact that unclear for how long this Oilers roster can compete. As mentioned, they are not a young group, which could lead to their window closing sooner or later. Instead of trying to change that by moving on from players like Ekholm, they have instead seemingly doubled their profits and are not looking at the big picture in any way. It’s a risky decision that could affect them for years to come.
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