Edmonton Oilers Survive Without Mattias Ekholm, But He Could Be The Final Puzzle Piece

The Edmonton Oilers have been thriving in the current Stanley Cup playoffs, taking a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference final series against the Dallas Stars.

But for as good as the Oilers have looked, they could be even better if veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm returns to the lineup this week.Its still undecided if Ekholm will play in Tuesdays Game 4 against the Stars, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Monday, but he remains day-to-day, meaning he could play on Thursday as well.Edmonton has been without Ekholms services since the second week of April, nursing an injury that has hampered him for months.

But in Ekholms absence, the Oilers have managed not only to survive but to put themselves in a position to add more or less a trade deadline-type asset who adds the type of physical, high-panic-threshold presence any true Cup contender needs at this time of year.The way things are shaking out, Ekholm could be the final puzzle piece that puts the Oilers over the top and into the winners circle over either the Florida Panthers or Carolina Hurricanes in the Cup final.

When this writer made his Western final prediction, we noted there was very little separating the Stars and Oilers.

Through three games, thats the way the series has played out, with Edmonton winning Games 2 and 3 to steal home-ice advantage from Dallas.

We believed another returning veteran defenseman Stars star Miro Heiskanen would be one of the difference-makers in Dallas favor, but the Oilers have been able to pile up goals on Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger despite Heiskanen being in the lineup.Ekholms experience and veteran know-how are highly valuable, and his ability to eat up major minutes he averaged 22:12 of ice time this regular season, and hes averaged 23:42 in 112 career playoff games will have a terrific ripple effect on what the Oilers can do the rest of the way.If Ekholm does get back in the lineup this week, life will get considerably more difficult for Stars players who enter Edmontons defensive zone.

Ekholms 6-foot-5 frame and willingness to play a robust physical game will benefit the Oilers.

The 35-year-old Swede is about to enter the final year of his contract, meaning theres going to be some urgency to his game.

Elite NHL teams want to have players who seize the moment, and after so much time on the sidelines, Ekholm should come into this series knowing how precious these opportunities really are.

So, imagining hes going to ratchet up his game isnt at all a stretch.The Stars are a very good bounce-back squad, so the Oilers are far from out of the woods in this Western final showdown.

But the emotional and structural boost they could get from a returning Ekholm cant be overstated.

Ekholm is a calming influence and an experienced contributor who isnt going to mess around once he does get into game action.

Edmonton will need all hands on deck if theyre to win this years Cup, but so long as Ekholm does what he normally does when hes healthy, the Oilers are in a good spot.Get thelatest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and bysubscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.

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