Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm won't be available for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs due to an undisclosed injury, head coach Kris Knoblauch announced Monday, according to Sportsnet's Gene Principe.
Ekholm was hurt Friday against the San Jose Sharks in his first game back after missing seven in a row. He's Edmonton's top shutdown defender, averaging over 22 minutes across 65 games this season while contributing 33 points.
The Oilers have two regular-season contests remaining before meeting the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1 for the fourth consecutive year. Home ice for the series is still undecided as the two clubs also play each other Monday night.
Edmonton is dealing with a slew of injuries down the stretch. Knoblauch said Leon Draisaitl is expected to be ready for Game 1 and trade-deadline acquisition Trent Frederic is questionable. Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Jake Walman are all out Monday but should be in the lineup for the playoff opener.
