Pagnotta: Oilers could re-sign Mattias Ekholm for $4 million AAV or less

It was anything but a case of the Mondays for the Edmonton Oilers.

Stan Bowman put a bow on his offseason work by signing captain Connor McDavid to a two-year, $25 million deal, along with locking up Jake Walman for seven years for a contract worth $49 million. 

Those two deals come not long after extending Vasily Podkolzin for three more seasons, though it was Evan Bouchard’s new four-year deal that started the trend back in June. Bowman has done a great job of locking in more of the core pieces that will hopefully form a Stanley Cup-winning roster.

There are still a few veteran players who are waiting to see what their future holds. Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and Adam Henrique are amongst that group, but Mattias Ekholm headlines the Oilers’ upcoming free agency class. He turned 35 in the summer, and the last time fans watched him play in the Stanley Cup Finals, he struggled mightily.

Granted, that was due to injury, but how has he recovered?

“At full health, you know what Ekholm is capable of and how big a shutdown guy he can be,” said David Pagnotta on Oilersnation Everyday. “You know how much he can bail out Nurse, Bouchard or whoever else. “You’ve got to be certain he’s got that longevity if you’re adding term to it. Otherwise, you’ve just got another piece on that backend that doesn’t do much for you.” 

Ekholm has been fantastic since joining the Oilers at the 2023 trade deadline. He and Bouchard have become an elite top pairing for the Oilers, coming up with clutch plays too many times to count. He’s played in 884 regular-season games, 165 in Edmonton, while also going to the Stanley Cup Final three times. So he’s played his fair share of hockey games.

He has nearly $46-million in career earnings, with his $25-million contract set to expire soon. So what does the next deal look like for a player that’s turning 36 next summer?

“It’s going to depend on the term and if they want to spread that (the money) out a little bit,” continued Pagnotta. “I would expect something around the $4-million mark. He’s at $6-million, right now, and he’s 35. You factor that in, and then how much runway does he still have left? Do you want to give two, the same amount as Connor, or do you want to give three?”

“Walman is 29 and Ekholm is 35. You can justify two, probably stretch it out to three, and maybe four if you want. That number is the threes.”

Evolving Hockey projects that Ekholm could earn $5.947 million on a two-year extension if he were to demand that from the Oilers. However, it’s been noted by many how much the Swede loves playing in Edmonton. You may recall that he admitted his wife loves it here too, and that the city reminds her of her hometown in Sweden.

He doesn’t seem like the type who would demand much money. Plus, when you see McDavid take so much less, how can anyone now ask for more money?

Before any contract is signed, however, Bowman will need to confirm that Ekholm is back to full health.