The Edmonton Oilers are gearing up for the 2025 NHL Playoffs, and they already know they will be taking on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the fourth straight year. For now, they are focused on finishing the regular season on the right foot, but they recently received a tough injury update regarding defenseman Mattias Ekholm from head coach Kris Knoblauch.

Ekholm took the ice on Friday after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury, but he played only two shifts before re-aggravating that ailment. Initial reports indicated that Ekholm could miss the remainder of the season, and Knoblauch didn't exactly dispute that notion when discussing the star blue-liner's status with the playoffs looming.

“Mattias is getting a look from the doctor a second opinion to see what it looks like. Right now it doesn't look like Mattias will be joining us immediately,” Knoblauch said per Gene Principe of Sportsnet.

Kris Knoblauch, Oilers dealt big Mattias Ekholm blow

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Edmonton was already shorthanded prior to losing Ekholm, and now it looks like he's set to miss an extended period of time, if he is even able to return this season. Ekholm has been arguably the Oilers top defenseman this season, racking up nine goals and 24 assists in 65 games of action. Now, the team will have to find out how to get by without him.

With Ekholm out, Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard are going to have to step up and take on more responsibility on the blue line for the Oilers, but it's fair to wonder whether or not this is an absence the team will be able to overcome in their attempt to make another deep playoff run. First, they have to finish up the regular season, as they will be back on the ice Sunday night for a matchup with the Winnipeg Jets.