In a season where the Edmonton Oilers have never really been at full health, they are very close to getting there in the Western Conference Final. Now in the month of May, the Oilers have just two regulars out with injuries: defenseman Mattias Ekholm and goaltender Calvin Pickard. These two guys have been very important to the team’s success so far this season, and so it begs the question of where exactly head coach Kris Knoblauch could potentially fit them into the lineup.
Now, normally, two veterans who have been playing so well lately would have no problem jumping back into the lineup. However, the team has been hot in their absence, and the last thing any coach or player wants to do is disrupt chemistry and slow down a winning team. So while there is a spot somewhere in the lineup for them both, the question of where needs to be analyzed further.
Ekholm for Who?
Minus a rough Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night, the Oilers’ defence has been stellar in Ekholm’s absence. After a shaky start to Round 1, they were a key part of four straight wins against the Los Angeles Kings and a swift five-game series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Knoblauch was even able to swap out Ty Emberson for Troy Stecher, and the blue line remained a strong entity throughout the first two rounds.
Related: Oilers Got a Much-Needed Game 1 Slap in the Face vs. Stars
Now in Round 3, the blue line needs to be better than ever, and with Ekholm close to a return, a decision is on the horizon. A premier defenceman like Ekholm will surely be slotted into the lineup as soon as he’s healthy, the only question is who do the coaches take out? With how well everyone has been playing recently, it’s hard to take anyone out without wrecking good momentum.
Ultimately, I think it comes down to that spot in the lineup that was mentioned earlier, the Stecher/Emberson spot. It has been the only real question mark on defence, and Ekholm is a substantial upgrade defensively from one of those guys. Despite those two players losing ice time because of this, it will be huge to have reliable players like them as an “in case of emergency” piece on the roster.
Many Edmonton fans would argue for giving someone like Darnell Nurse a game off as some fans have not been so pleased with his play at times. However, this is just not something that can be done at this point. Nurse has played more good games than bad lately and is a strong veteran presence that has a wealth of playoff experience. He will step up when he is needed, and if he does make mistakes, Ekholm will hopefully be there to bail him out.
Pickard or Skinner
The Oilers’ goalie problem is a good problem to have right now, for the most part. Looking past the disastrous end to Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, Stuart Skinner has been stellar in his past few games. He held a shutout streak of over 140 minutes in Pickard’s absence and was instrumental in getting Edmonton to where they are. On the other hand, Pickard has yet to be defeated in the 2025 Postseason, posting a perfect 6-0 record. Hence the “good problem.”
When looking at the two goalies right now, I think the only way to do it is to ride the hot and healthy hand. While Skinner may have cooled off a bit, he still played consistently well in Round 2 and is technically the starting goalie. The Oilers should let him have the reins for now, and if he slips up even a little bit again, a healthy Pickard should take over the crease again. Here’s to hoping there are no issues in goal at all.
At full strength and playing at full potential, the Oilers are a dangerous team. It can be easily forgotten what they are capable of when they haven’t been a healthy team in a long time. We will hopefully see a full squad in the next week.
