Mattias Ekholm wants to re-sign with the Oilers, and I want him here too, but let’s talk term

Let me just come out and say it: I don’t like the idea of a post-Ekholm Oilers blue line. I don’t. Since he got here from Nashville at the 2023 trade deadline, Mattias Ekholm has been nothing short of a rock defensively, a calming presence, a smooth passer, and an absolute gift to this team when they needed more stability on the back end.

But we’ve got to be honest about the situation, too. Ekholm turns 36 next May. As we speak today, he’s entering the final year of his contract with a $6 million cap hit, and, while he still plays at a high level when he’s healthy, there’s always risk when you start talking about extending guys into their late 30s. Still, when you hear him talk about Edmonton, it’s impossible not to root for the scenario that keeps Big Viking Daddy in blue and orange.

“It’s a contract year but I’m also getting up there (age). I know what I bring on the ice but I also have a family and I want to make sure we have security. Do I want to stay in Edmonton? Absolutely. I guess there will be discussions but you’re going to be talking to a guy in a few minutes who’s the big focus. I’ve been around long enough in this league to know you take care of the big boys first,” said Ekholm, waiting for McDavid to talk to the media.

That quote says everything you need to know about the kind of teammate Mattias Ekholm is. He knows the spotlight is (rightfully) on Connor McDavid’s contract extension, and that he’ll have to wait to start talks on his own deal, but he also knows what he brings to the table. And you know what? He’s right. His play through most of his time as an Oiler has earned him every bit of this conversation.

Why Ekholm matters so much

Since arriving, Ekholm’s pairing with Evan Bouchard has helped elevate the young defender’s game in every possible way, stabilize the Oilers’ breakout, and give Kris Knoblauch a top pairing that could be trusted in all situations. He plays big minutes, wins puck battles, kills penalties, breaks up the forecheck, and gets thrown out there in basically any situation. There’s no panic in Ekholm’s game. Just poise, toughness, and a pretty damned good first pass.

The problem, of course, is that the last time we saw Ekholm suit up for the Oilers, he wasn’t exactly at his best. Clearly injured, though we didn’t know what was really going on until Friday, we saw the big defender struggle to play at the level we needed him to, even though it’s completely understandable now that we know what he was dealing with.

“I had a torn abductor,” Ekholm said. “It’s a tough injury when you’re trying to skate. “It was tough just because you’re more out there to survive than maybe creating something or actually playing your game. The first couple of games, you’re so mentally into it, and then after a couple of games, I wouldn’t say you lose it, but it becomes more normal again. It was definitely a challenge that I’ve never had before in my career. … but no excuse for it, I decided to play.”

Now that he’s had the summer to recover and is coming into camp healthy again, I wonder if the Oilers will wait until they see how he’s doing before engaging in contract talks, McDavid extension or not. I also wonder what the team would even be interested in tabling for him when it comes to term. Let’s be honest, as good as he is now, that cliff can run up in a hurry for guys in the back half of their 30s. I want Mattias Ekholm to extend, but if he’s looking for security, what exactly does that mean when it comes to years on paper?

But let’s be real about age and term

Here’s where it gets tricky: Ekholm will be 36 when any new deal kicks in. If you’re giving him more than two years, you’re walking into risky territory. Not because I don’t believe in the player — I do — but because professional sports are cruel and time is always undefeated. And with the Oilers already paying Nurse, Bouchard, Draisaitl, and budgeting big money for Connor McDavid, it’s fair to wonder how much they can afford on the blue line without hamstringing the rest of the roster.

“I’m getting older. I’m not saying I’m gonna get hurt again or anything like that. But I do understand now – and it’s on me too – knowing that [if] you are going to play in all these games and all these events, you might take a practice off here and there,” Ekholm continued.

“You want to stay healthy too, and you want to stay fresh. Otherwise you can’t play at the top of your game. If you’re going to play all these games, then yeah, you’ve got to have to be smart about it.”

That doesn’t mean you let Ekholm walk. It just means Stan Bowman has to find the right balance between loyalty, performance, and cap management. Not to mention, Jake Walman is another left-handed d-man that will need a new contract, and he could get prioritized because of his age relative to the rest of the team. But if there’s a way to extend Ekholm on a shorter-term deal with a manageable AAV, I’d be all in. If he wants three or four years at a number that starts with a six, that’s a tougher conversation, even with the cap shooting skyward over the next few seasons.

The ideal world? He stays. But on a short-term deal.

I want Mattias Ekholm to retire as an Oiler. I want his leadership in the room and his stability on the ice. I want that bearded ruggedness guiding the youth in the locker room. I want his consistency on the back end. But I also want the Oilers to be smart about how they build this next era of Cup contention. The core is aging, the window is now, and every decision matters more than ever.

Ekholm gets it. He’s realistic. He wants security for his family, and he’s earned the right to ask for it. Let’s just hope there’s a way to make it work — one that lets both the player and the team keep pushing for the ultimate goal without putting handcuffs on the future. Because if the Oilers are going to win it all, I want Ekholm’s beard in the Cup parade. Simple as that.