Should the Edmonton Oilers Extend Mattias Ekholm or Move On?

With Mattias Ekholm entering his mid-30s and playing a crucial role in unlocking Evan Bouchard, the Edmonton Oilers face a difficult decision. Host Nick Zararis breaks down the pros and cons of a potential extension, including aging curves, salary cap implications, and comparable contracts for Chris Tanev, Ryan McDonagh, and more. Nick also looks at: Ekholm’s value beyond the box score How defense-first players age in today’s speed-and-skill NHL Why Jake Walman might be the long-term solution 📲 Subscribe and leave a five-star review to support the show! 0:00 Intro: Oilers' decisions on Matthias Ekholm's future 5:14 Challenges in valuing defensive defensemen 10:22 Current NHL market for aging defensemen 15:58 Comparing Ekholm to other defensive contracts 20:04 Ekholm's importance to Oilers' playoff success 24:38 Finding the right partner for top defensemen 28:41 Outro: Subscribe to Locked On NHL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in Bonus Bets if your first $5 bet wins! FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.