The Edmonton Oilers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in a shootout, but the win came at the cost of defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who will miss at least a week.
Early in the third period, Hurricanes forward William Carrier hit Ekholm, who went down hard, with his head appearing to strike the ice and take the full weight of the fall. He was slow to get up and unsteady on his skates, and he needed help getting to the dressing room. He did not return.
The scene raised immediate concerns about a concussion, though the team hasn’t announced a diagnosis. All head coach Mike Babcock would say is that Ekholm would be out at least a week and that this was another opportunity for a defenseman to step up.
It is believed that defenseman will be Shakir Mukhamadullin.
Good Early News on the Scary Ekholm Injury
There were encouraging signs after the game. Ekholm was not taken to a hospital and never left the building. When his teammates came off the ice following the win, he was waiting at ice level in the locker room, exchanging high-fives. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug didn’t want to downplay the injury, but he said Ekholm looked just fine.
The hope is that this was a concussion protocol situation and the Oilers chose to be extra cautious. No matter what, the defenseman would have had to leave the game for 15 minutes as the concussion spotters would have pulled him.
Even so, the Oilers are preparing to be without him for a while. The coach confirmed that Ekholm will be out for a minimum of one week. That means he’ll miss Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Monday’s matchup versus the Detroit Red Wings, and Wednesday’s Battle of Alberta tilt with the Calgary Flames.
The Oilers Will Miss Ekholm
Already hit hard by injuries this season, Ekholm’s absence will be felt. He is a veteran who logs heavy minutes and handles tough matchups, and his steady play in the defensive zone allows Edmonton’s offensive talent to take chances up the ice. He slots in on the top pair beside Evan Bouchard, which means another player (possibly Ryan Shea) will need to step into that role.
Replacing that experience isn’t easy, and the Oilers will lean on the rest of their blue line to fill the gap.
For now, the 8-1-1 Oilers are waiting on further medical evaluation. Head injuries are handled cautiously, so the timeline could shift depending on how Ekholm recovers and whether he clears the league’s concussion protocol.
Oilers Fans Are Nervous After Mattias Ekholm Suffers Scary Injury