Greg WyshynskiOct 8, 2025, 10:39 AM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
Days after signing superstar Connor McDavid to a two-year extension, the Edmonton Oilers have locked up one of the most important championship players around him in defenseman Mattias Ekholm.
Ekholm, 35, signed a three-year, $12 million extension Wednesday that starts in the 2026-27 season. Ekholm is in the final season of the four-year contract signed with the Nashville Predators in 2021 that carries a $6 million average annual value. He would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Entering his 15th NHL season, Ekholm had 33 points (9 goals, 24 assists) in 65 games last season for the Oilers. His 22:11 in average ice time was third on the team. One of Edmonton’s primary penalty killers, Ekholm also sees time on the power play.
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The Swedish defenseman’s comportment and facial hair also inspired a group of Edmonton fans called “The Dancing Ekholms,” who attend games in horned helmets, kilts and war paint to honor their “Viking Warrior.”
Ekholm’s signing comes two days after McDavid agreed to a two-year contract extension with a $12.5 million AAV, a steep hometown discount that gives general manager Stan Bowman cap flexibility to build a winner around the star center.
Bowman immediately went to work, signing Ekholm and defenseman Jake Walman (7 years, $49 million) to contract extensions. The Oilers now have nine players signed through the end of McDavid’s deal in 2028.
Edmonton is coming off its second straight defeat to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers have played in the postseason in six straight seasons.
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