Welcome to the 2022-23 season review and 2023-24 season preview player-by-player! In this and other articles, we’ll be, well, reviewing the 2022-23 season of Edmonton Oilers players and previewing their 2023-24 season. You can read about the analytics behind my analysis here.
Welcome back, Mattias Ekholm.
5×5
NHL GP
TOI + TOI/GP
G – A – P
CF
CA
CF%
SCF
SCA
SCF%
GF
GA
GF%
xGF
xGA
xGF%
PDO
Individual
21
355.30
8-4-12
389
276
58.5
235
150
61.04
31
10
75.61
21.59
13.42
61.67
1.09
Per/60
16.92
0.85-1.17-2.02
65.69
46.61
39.68
25.33
5.24
1.69
3.65
2.27
Per/60, RelTm%
13.03
-4.7
7.85
10.26
-2.75
9.87
2.9
-1
29.18
0.92
-0.43
11.36
There’s an easy argument to make that Mattias Ekholm is one of the most important trade acquisitions in the Edmonton Oilers’ storied history. After joining the club on Feb. 28, Ekholm stepped into the Oilers’ top-four and was nothing short of a dynamite player every time he was on the ice.
He helped calm down Evan Bouchard’s game allowing the young offensive defenceman to play more to his strengths, and shut down the opposition any time they crossed the Oilers’ blueline. Simply put: his impact on the Oilers is almost hard to quantify.
In his small sample size of 21 games last season, the Oilers outscored their opposition by 21 goals and the team dominated every facet of the game with him out there. On top of that, his own individual contributions pegged him as one of the best defencemen in the league playing well above what would be considered a top-pairing defenceman.
The Oilers got high-danger looks often in the offensive zone with him on the ice, and good luck trying to get down low on the Oilers’ own crease.
His play has elevated the Oilers blueline in a big way, and this season it appears he and Evan Bouchard will form the clubs top pairing. It’s something I wrote about early on in the pre-season, and is a coaching decision that could have significant positive reverberations down the depth chart for this franchise.
Expect another big year from Ekholm.

EKHOLM’S CAREER SO FAR

Regular Season
Playoffs
Season
Team
Lge
GP
G
A
Pts
PIM
GP
G
A
Pts
PIM
2006-07
Mora IK Jr.
Swe-Jr
36
0
4
4
28
6
2007-08
Mora IK Jr.
Swe-Jr
37
5
7
12
54
-5
2007-08
Mora IK
SEL
1
0
0
0
0
0
2008-09
Mora IK Jr.
Swe-Jr
21
3
5
8
32
3
2008-09
Mora IK
Swe-1
38
2
11
13
12
7
2009-10
Mora IK
Swe-1
41
1
21
22
54
10
2010-11
Brynas IF Gavle
SEL
55
10
23
33
38
10
5
0
4
4
10
2011-12
Nashville Predators
NHL
2
0
0
0
0
-1
2011-12
Brynas IF Gavle
SEL
41
9
8
17
55
1
2012-13
Milwaukee Admirals
AHL
59
10
22
32
30
15
4
0
1
1
0
2012-13
Nashville Predators
NHL
1
0
0
0
0
-1
2013-14
Nashville Predators
NHL
62
1
8
9
10
-8
2014-15
Nashville Predators
NHL
80
7
11
18
52
12
6
1
0
1
2
2015-16
Nashville Predators
NHL
82
8
27
35
44
14
14
3
4
7
4
2016-17
Nashville Predators
NHL
82
3
20
23
34
4
22
1
10
11
38
2017-18
Nashville Predators
NHL
81
10
24
34
46
25
13
1
7
8
12
2018-19
Nashville Predators
NHL
80
8
36
44
47
27
6
0
2
2
12
2019-20
Nashville Predators
NHL
68
8
25
33
32
-1
4
0
1
1
0
2020-21
Nashville Predators
NHL
48
6
17
23
14
19
6
0
3
3
6
2021-22
Nashville Predators
NHL
76
6
25
31
44
14
4
0
2
2
0
2022-23
Nashville Predators
NHL
57
5
13
18
24
0
2022-23
Edmonton Oilers
NHL
21
4
10
14
4
28
12
1
6
7
8
NHL Totals
740
66
216
282
351
87
7
35
42
82

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.