The Edmonton Oilers will be without defenseman Mattias Ekholm for their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Saturday.
"No, he will not be available for this round," the bench boss said.
Ekholm missed Edmonton's first-round matchup versus the Los Angeles Kings due to an undisclosed injury.
The Oilers handled their Pacific Division rivals in six games after dropping the first two contests, but they had a hard time in their own zone at times. Edmonton sits second last among all playoff teams this spring in goals against per game (4.00) while owning the worst penalty kill with a paltry 60% success rate.
Ekholm last played in an NHL game April 11 against the San Jose Sharks, but he saw just 1:52 minutes of ice time. He missed 10 of the Oilers' last 11 regular-season contests.
The 34-year-old rearguard has been a key cornerstone of Edmonton's blue line since he was acquired by the Oilers in 2023. Ekholm chipped in with nine goals and 33 points in 65 outings this campaign while ranking third on the team in average ice time (22:12).
Edmonton split the regular-season series with the Golden Knights and won the last matchup 3-2 on April 1.
