Ekholm and Bouchard Still Dominating | Edmonton Oilers News

Mattias Ekholm’s impact on the Oilers’ defense has been game-changing since his arrival, forming a dominant pairing with Evan Bouchard that’s outscored opponents by a wide margin. Now, at 36 and facing new roster changes after Darnell Nurse’s trade, questions arise about how long Ekholm can maintain that elite level. His recent groin injury sidelined him for months, and early last season his mobility looked shaky — but he rebounded impressively, playing all 82 games strong and regaining his top-pair form by November. Surprisingly, his skating speed and bursts were even sharper last season than when he first joined. With no signs of decline and solid depth behind him in Jake Walman and Ryan Shea, Ekholm remains poised to lead the blue line into training camp — aging gracefully, and still delivering at the highest level. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3d152b7b961ded32