Mattias Ekholm confirms reasons why Oilers shut down from playing

The Edmonton Oilers are finally getting Mattias Ekholm back after the veteran defenceman was shut down after the 4 Nations tournament, and now he's revealed what issues exactly held him out.

Ekholm ended up missing only six games, which is a positive considering his timeline was essentially indefinite. The Oilers expected him back sooner, but delayed his return even more to give him more time.

Mattias Ekholm confirms the reasons why he was shut down from playing

The 34 year old Swedish defenceman is usually one of the Oilers best defenders, but struggled upon returning from 4 Nations. The Oilers made the tough call to let him sit out to fully heal up, instead of playing through some issues.

Coach Knoblauch only ever confirmed an injury for Ekholm, but it was also reported the defenceman was dealing with an illness that stretched back months.

Speaking to the media today, Ekholm the Oilers shut him down to heal up from illness and a lower body injury. Now, he's ready to get back in the lineup.

Got my voice back, been battling a bit of a lower-body injury. It's kept me out but guys have done a great job. I'm feeling better.

I'm a vocal player out there too, so I need my voice to be out there to be able to communicate. That's a bigger hurdle than you might think.

I wasn't in game shape, that's the bottom line. I had an injury, it's not gone completely but I can manage it now and it feels really good.

- Mattias Ekholm