Mattias Ekholm's Official Status for Game 4 vs. the Stars Has Been Revealed

The Edmonton Oilers will be without experienced defenseman Mattias Ekholm in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars.

While there were early signals that improvement was taking place, head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that Ekholm won't suit up tonight. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered on April 11 and hasn't played in the 2025 playoffs yet.

Ekholm's absence continues as the Oilers head into Tuesday's game with a 2-1 series lead. While the team has gone 10-2 in their last 12 games, including a 6-1 pounding in Game 3, his steady presence on the blue line has been dearly missed.

Since coming over from Nashville in 2023, Ekholm has proven to be a reliable partner for Evan Bouchard and contributed solid leadership at the back.

Knoblauch emphasized that Ekholm's return would only come when he's fully ready, sacrificing short-term health and team performance. In the interim, Troy Stecher and John Klingberg would remain in the lineup.

Stecher has improved since inserting himself for Ty Emberson, and Klingberg added offense with a goal in Game 3.

Ekholm, at 35 years old, credited the good play of his teammates and continued to emphasize he is only interested in contributing when he's fit.

Elsewhere, Connor Brown will miss Game 4 after a check from Alex Petrovic. Goaltender Calvin Pickard practiced and may be the backup behind Stuart Skinner.

While the Oilers pursue a three-games-to-one series advantage, they will attempt to do so with one of their most experienced blueliners out of the lineup.