The long-term absence of Mattias Ekholm from the Edmonton Oilers lineup was widely expected to severely impact the team`s chances at winning the Stanley Cup. However, despite missing their most reliable defenseman for all 11 playoff games so far, the Oilers have successfully advanced to the Western Conference final for the third time in the last four years.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch informed reporters last week that he doesn`t foresee Ekholm, who has also been sidelined by an undisclosed injury for 10 of Edmonton`s final 11 regular-season contests, being available for at least the initial two games against the Dallas Stars. The team is in no hurry to rush him back into play.
“We shouldn`t expect Ekholm to immediately return to the form we saw in last year`s playoffs when he comes back,” Knoblauch commented to the press. “Fortunately, we currently have a group of defensemen performing exceptionally well, so we aren`t under pressure to insert him into the lineup before he is fully prepared.”
At the beginning of the playoffs, Knoblauch faced the challenge of substituting Ekholm`s crucial 22-plus minutes of hard play per game. This responsibility has been divided among Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse, and Brett Kulak, all of whom have significantly increased their average ice time compared to the regular season. Bouchard is now playing nearly three more minutes per game; his 26:24 of ice time is the second-highest among active skaters in the post-season, slightly trailing only Stars defender Thomas Harley (26:37).
Even without Ekholm playing alongside him, Bouchard has continued to put up impressive offensive numbers, while helping the Oilers control 61.9 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5 during his shifts. He has accumulated 12 points through 11 games (seven of which were at 5-on-5), boosting his career playoff points total to 70 in 64 games (1.09 points per game). Among the nearly 450 defensemen with at least 50 career playoff appearances, only the legendary Bobby Orr (1.24 points per game) has averaged more points.
Defensively, Bouchard and the Oilers had a difficult start, allowing 12 goals in their two losses to the Los Angeles Kings. Bouchard was on the ice for five of the seven 5-on-5 goals scored by the Kings in the first two games of the opening round. However, over the subsequent nine games, the Oilers have significantly outscored opponents 13-8 at 5-on-5 with Bouchard on the ice. This includes a dominant 8-2 advantage against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
Bouchard leads the NHL in puck-possession time this post-season, clocking in at 29:47. His true turnover rate of 12 percent ranks 13th out of 206 skaters who have played a minimum of 100 minutes in the playoffs. This indicates Bouchard is handling the puck with remarkable effectiveness. In the Oilers’ first playoff loss to the Kings on April 21, two turnovers by Bouchard quickly led to goals against within 10 seconds. Since that game, he has only committed one turnover in the following 10 games that resulted in the puck finding the back of Edmonton`s net.
Knoblauch paired Bouchard with Brett Kulak for the Oilers’ last two games, a move that proved beneficial. This defensive duo contributed to the Oilers out-chancing the Golden Knights 14-9 and outscoring them 1-0 at 5-on-5 during their ice time, helping to seal the series victory. (Darnell Nurse was consequently moved to the second defensive pairing alongside Troy Stecher.)
