Player Discussion Mattias Ekholm

Love Ekholm but I wish he had chosen almost any number other than 14. While he doesn't look anything like Eberle I keep thinking it.
 
The guy is a very good interview. Seems like a genuine person.
I loved how he took the time to credit his parents and all the families that would drive players out from their small village to go to the nearest indoor rink which was far away. As Canadians in metro areas we take for granted how many indoor rinks are so close. Wasn't the case for Ekholm who hails from a small town in Sweden that only had one outdoor rink that often times was unusable.

It takes a village to raise a Viking.
 
I loved how he took the time to credit his parents and all the families that would drive players out from their small village to go to the nearest indoor rink which was far away. As Canadians in metro areas we take for granted how many indoor rinks are so close. Wasn't the case for Ekholm who hails from a small town in Sweden that only had one outdoor rink that often times was unusable.

It takes a village to raise a Viking.
It's also different right now than to was when I was a kid. Outdoor games were fairly common but outdoor practices were even more so. There were only a handful of indoor rinks anywhere close to where I lived and pretty much the only thing they were used for were games.

My nephew played hockey for years and never had an outdoor practice. He played once outside in a tournament that was organized as a "throw-back" to the old days.
 
It's also different right now than to was when I was a kid. Outdoor games were fairly common but outdoor practices were even more so. There were only a handful of indoor rinks anywhere close to where I lived and pretty much the only thing they were used for were games.

My nephew played hockey for years and never had an outdoor practice. He played once outside in a tournament that was organized as a "throw-back" to the old days.
Yep. The idea of community rec center or facility has changed drastically over one lifespan. We had one outdoor rink with a small cinderblock change room. Seemed like the "heating" was in name only. The only indoor rink in the whole West End of Edmonton I remember is Jasper Place arena.
 
It's also different right now than to was when I was a kid. Outdoor games were fairly common but outdoor practices were even more so. There were only a handful of indoor rinks anywhere close to where I lived and pretty much the only thing they were used for were games.

My nephew played hockey for years and never had an outdoor practice. He played once outside in a tournament that was organized as a "throw-back" to the old days.
I played hockey from 1996-2008 and didnt had a single outdoor practice or game.
 
Mattias Ekholm has been a fantastic addition to the Oilers rear guard, and provides a tantalizing potential partner for fellow countryman Philip Broberg...

Or as I like to call the pairing Bruce, "Swede Georgia Brown".

.....because they're both from Sweden Bruce....

....and people from Sweden are called Swedes Bruce....
 
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Mattias Ekholm has been a fantastic addition to the Oilers rear guard, and provides a tantalizing potential partner for fellow countryman Philip Broberg...

Or as I like to call the pairing Bruce, "Swede Georgia Brown".

.....because they're both from Sweden Bruce....

....and people from Sweden are called Swedes Bruce....

Be(a)st scenario would be
Nurse Bouchard/VD
Broberg Ekholm
Kulak Ceci (shutdown)
 
Yep. The idea of community rec center or facility has changed drastically over one lifespan. We had one outdoor rink with a small cinderblock change room. Seemed like the "heating" was in name only. The only indoor rink in the whole West End of Edmonton I remember is Jasper Place arena.
Another oldie on the west-side was Coronation arena - I remember playing there (and Jasper Place / Bill Hunter) quite a bit as a kid.

I'll always have a soft spot for those rinks and some of the other older neighbourhood rinks with their tiny dressing rooms like Tipton, Oliver, Santa Rosa, and Michael Cameron.
 
Straight up. Karlsson would have been incredible as well but what Ekholm has brought leaves me speechless most games. Like what bad game has he had? I can't think of a god damn bad shift let alone game.

Way way WAAYYY better offensively than I ever thought possible, especially after Kenny called him a defensive defenseman in that first presser.
Chychrun is already injured for at least two weeks with a hamstring issue. So glad we went for the old viking!
 
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I’ve really enjoyed watching the Oilers play since Ekholm got there. I miss seeing him in a Preds uniform but I’m glad he’s thriving on your team. I can’t speak to Bouch’s play before Ekholm got there because I never really watched many of the games but they seem to work really well together.

I’m extremely envious of the media coverage that y’all have up there and getting to watch all the interviews he’s done up there has been amazing, we never got to see this much of him in the media while he was here.

We live in strange times because for the first time in my life I’ll be pulling for a Canadian team in the playoffs. Some Preds fans are hoping for the Oilers to have an early exit for that first round draft pick but i truly want to see Ekholm raising the cup over his head as a Stanley Cup champion. That guy is just a phenomenal human being.
 
Since acquiring Ekholm, Bouchard has 14 points in 16 games (8 of which have been at even strength) which pro-rates to 71 points over a full season. He has completely transformed Bouchard's season - the time to sign Bouchard long-term was a month ago (at the same time, I wouldn't have signed him long-term then given his level of play) but hopefully we can still lock him in for at least three years at a reasonable rate. Signing him to a one year show-me contract could be disastrous, as a 70+ point season juiced up by powerplay minutes could lead to a ridiculous price tag.

The other major beneficiary of Ekholm's arrival has been Nurse. He's playing over a minute less per game and his offensive production has ticked up a ton as well with 11 points in his last 16 games (pro-rated to 56 points) with all of those points coming at even strength or shorthanded.

I was cautiously optimistic about the Ekholm addition but he's really looked like a top pairing rock for us. Granted it's only been 16 games but he fits perfectly with Bouchard. Meanwhile, in the least shocking news ever, our other target Chychrun is on the IR and is out for three weeks during the most important stretch of the season.

I'd still love to see Karlsson on the Oilers for the sheer video game moments but Ekholm looks like the perfect addition.
 
Since acquiring Ekholm, Bouchard has 14 points in 16 games (8 of which have been at even strength) which pro-rates to 71 points over a full season. He has completely transformed Bouchard's season - the time to sign Bouchard long-term was a month ago (at the same time, I wouldn't have signed him long-term then given his level of play) but hopefully we can still lock him in for at least three years at a reasonable rate. Signing him to a one year show-me contract could be disastrous, as a 70+ point season juiced up by powerplay minutes could lead to a ridiculous price tag.

The other major beneficiary of Ekholm's arrival has been Nurse. He's playing over a minute less per game and his offensive production has ticked up a ton as well with 11 points in his last 16 games (pro-rated to 56 points) with all of those points coming at even strength or shorthanded.

I was cautiously optimistic about the Ekholm addition but he's really looked like a top pairing rock for us. Granted it's only been 16 games but he fits perfectly with Bouchard. Meanwhile, in the least shocking news ever, our other target Chychrun is on the IR and is out for three weeks during the most important stretch of the season.

I'd still love to see Karlsson on the Oilers for the sheer video game moments but Ekholm looks like the perfect addition.
Imagine somehow both?

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Karlsson
Broberg - Desharnais
 

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