The Edmonton Oilers need Mattias Ekholm to continue defying the aging curve to remain cup contenders

The Edmonton Oilers enter an all-or-nothing season expecting 36-year-old defenseman Mattias Ekholm to carry top-pairing responsibilities alongside Evan Bouchard. While Ekholm has exceeded all expectations since arriving in Edmonton, lingering wear and tear from a major hip abductor injury raises serious questions about whether his body can withstand an elite workload. We break down Ekholm's current role, his high-usage minutes against top lines, and how much gas he truly has left in the tank. A deep dive into the underlying metrics reveals that the Ekholm-Bouchard pairing remains one of the premier duos in the NHL at even strength. Over the past three seasons, Ekholm ranks among the league's top 30 defensemen in critical defensive suppression metrics, including high-danger chances against and expected goals against. However, Edmonton’s high-event offensive style with Connor McDavid often leaves this pairing exposed to high-danger counterattacks, forcing Ekholm to defend difficult rush chances with diminished recovery speed. With the Oilers restructuring their blue line around new systems, managing Ekholm’s ice time will make or break their Stanley Cup aspirations. Can Edmonton reasonably expect an aging, defense-first blue liner to match the pace required for a deep playoff run? We explore realistic expectations for Ekholm this season and evaluate whether Edmonton must look to internal depth or trades to find a long-term solution 03:16 Ekholm's career longevity and challenges 08:16 Comparing Ekholm to other defensemen 09:39 Discussing Ekholm's recent season trends 13:14 Analyzing Oilers' Defense Challenges 18:50 Evaluating Ekholm's recovery potential 20:29 Sports injuries impact players' performance 25:53 Oilers' defensive strategy talk 27:49 Jacob Slavin's defensive play discussed The Edmonton Oilers need Mattias Ekholm to continue defying the aging curve to remain cup contenders Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited, and this season, FanDuel is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM 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.