Edmonton Oilers extend defenceman Mattias Ekholm three years

The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Mattias Ekholm to a three-year extension ahead of Wednesday’s season opener.

Averaging $4 million a season, the deal will take the 35-year-old through to the end of the 2028-29 season.

The six-foot-five, 225-pound native of Sweden has anchored the Oilers defence, playing on the top pairing alongside Evan Bouchard for the majority of the time since joining the team near the end of 2022-23.

In that span, he has 92 points (24 goals, 68 assists) in 165 games, while adding seven more goals and 16 assists in 44 playoff games. He stands out with a plus-minus of plus-83, while also being a mainstay on the penalty kill.

Injury kept him out of the lineup for 17 games last season, while also missing

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