How Mattias Ekholm Will Shore Up the Oilers' Defense
The longtime Nashville Predator is as reliable as they come on the blue line
The Edmonton Oilers have long tried to conceal their structural flaws behind firewagon hockey—and the results have been…mixed.
Mattias Ekholm’s arrival from Nashville won’t plug all of their leaks, but the well-rounded defenseman can minimize their problems just enough for the Oilers to outscore them. Since the team ices the deadliest offense in the NHL, that’s about as big of a Band-Aid as you can ask for.
It’s worth noting that the Predators didn’t deploy the veteran as a shutdown blueliner this season:
That doesn’t detract from his overall impact, though. His contributions across the board made him the club’s most effective defenseman in 2022-23, and he should earn the same title as an Oiler in short order.
Here’s how Ekholm will bolster Edmonton’s back end.
Range Life
At 6’4” and 215 pounds, Ekholm possesses the prototypical frame for the position. But there’s more: Even for his size, his reach seems curiously long.
The 32-year-old pairs that asset with a proactive approach to defense. Instead of waiting for attackers to test him at the defensive blue line, he often presses up to eliminate their elbow room altogether.
Ekholm’s focus is on eating as much surface area as possible. He knows how disruptive his wingspan is and leverages it to cut off half of the ice. Guided by his solid instincts, he keeps gaps to an absolute minimum. Sometimes they barely exist, as he’ll undercut a player’s path and steal the puck from right under their nose:
When forwards do gain access to the zone, Ekholm’s length remains a valuable weapon. His stick is both twitchy and heavy, which helps him quickly react to net-front chaos and drive pucks into safer territory through brute force.
In addition to acting as a deterrent from distance, he adjusts his range well on the fly, shortening or extending his grip depending on the window he’s hoping to close. Like a seasoned fighter, he takes advantage of his reach but can also hold it down in tight quarters:
As a result of his aggressive gap control and pesky stick work, no Predators blueliner has fared better defensively this year. He’s conceded the fewest shot attempts, scoring chances and expected goals on their back end.
In fact, relative to his teammates, Ekholm ranks (700+ minutes played at 5-on-5):
8th leaguewide in CA/60.
1st in SCA/60.
4th in xGA/60.
You can’t teach size, but you can teach players how to wield it. The grizzled defenseman has learned how to tap into its full potential over the years. Whether you’re in the neutral zone or on the attack, he’s always breathing down your neck.
Brick Wall
If you can get past that initial layer of resistance, you still have to contend with a large and reasonably mobile defenseman.
No, Ekholm isn’t really a bruiser. However, he’s a mountain of a man whose physical attributes can be overwhelming—especially along the boards. He dwarfs most forwards and can manhandle them into surrendering the puck. Otherwise, he’ll squeeze them into a dead end and pin them on the wall.
Once he locks on to you, it’s difficult to shake free:
Beyond his ability to play the man, he uses his body to get in front of the puck too. He recognizes how to fill shooting lanes, and perhaps more importantly, he senses when he has to abandon a containment plan and lay out for a block.
His lanky build comes in quite handy on the penalty kill, as he’ll sprawl across home plate to deny central and backdoor looks:
Ekholm’s frame allows him to bully puck-carriers and smother the opposition’s cycle. On the back of his high IQ, he’s equally adept at scrambling to prevent opportunities in the slot. This is nothing new either. He has a track record of standing his ground in the trenches.
The numbers don’t lie: He’s only posted a goals-against rate higher than 2.30 ONCE since 2014-15. Talk about consistency.
Strength at the point of attack has been a staple of his game for years, and it’ll be crucial to an Oilers group that occasionally walks on the wild side.
Exit Strategy
Edmonton’s defense doesn’t merely struggle to stop the bleeding. It shoots itself in the foot via untimely turnovers as well. Nothing hurts more than digging your heels in only to then hand the opposition goals on a silver platter.
Unfortunately for the Oilers, two of their top four rearguards cough the puck up at an alarming rate in the defensive zone:
Ekholm has turned the puck over just 16 times in his end—and it isn’t because he plays hot potato to force the problem on someone else. He’s simply a smart and efficient puck-mover. He doesn’t dawdle in possession. He keeps his head up, identifies available targets and makes an accurate first pass.
If he can’t spot an outlet, he’ll settle for a high flip into the neutral zone or a rim along the boards. He clearly strives to avoid giveaways in prime real estate.
Best known as a pure defender, Ekholm also displays surprising touch with the puck. He places the ideal weight on his passes and can manufacture different angles with his reach:
His sound defense and savvy puck management generated the highest shot attempt, scoring chance and expected goal shares on Nashville’s blue line.
In other words, the Predators never performed better than during his shifts.
Ekholm isn’t Erik Karlsson, but whatever he may lack in solo skill, he makes up for in dependability. That should prove highly beneficial to a squad that was crying out for steadiness—not sizzle. He’ll feed their star forwards plenty of touches and stay out of the way thereafter.
Let the thoroughbreds run free.
Rather than acquiring a specialist, Edmonton brought in a versatile and experienced rearguard who will provide a boost in a number of categories—not to mention push his counterparts into more fitting roles.
The Oilers’ defense hasn’t suddenly become elite, but given the scoring punch on hand, they don’t need the best blue line in the league. They need a competent one, and they’re now much closer to that standard. As such, Edmonton is one step closer to reaching the NHL’s summit.