For the fourth consecutive season, the Edmonton Oilers are set to take on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Oilers, it looks as if they'll be without one of their most crucial players for the series.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch addressed the media on Monday and provided an update on the injury status for some key players ahead of the end of the regular season. Knoblauch indicated that the injury Mattias Ekholm is dealing with will keep him sidelined for the entirety of the first round.
Beyond that, Ekholm's status is a bit less clear, and Knoblauch did not say whether the veteran defenseman would be ready to go if the Oilers advance to the second round of the playoffs.
Ekholm initially sustained an undisclosed injury on March 26, which kept him out of the lineup for more than two weeks. He returned for Edmonton's game against the San Jose Sharks on April 11, but only logged three shifts for 1:52 before exiting the game. Now, there's some concern that Ekholm will be out for the remainder of the season, and Knoblauch confirmed Monday that the 34-year-old would be unavailable first round of the playoffs.
This season, Ekholm has played in 65 games and registered 33 points and a plus/minus of +11.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Oilers Dealt Worrying Injury Blow for Opening Round of Playoffs.
