Significant absentee at Oilers’ training camp

The Edmonton Oilers kick off training camp this week, but it will be without defenseman Mattias Ekholm. General manager Ken Holland revealed Ekholm will miss the start of training camp with a hip flexor. There is no given timeline for the defenseman’s return at this point.

This is significant news for the Oilers, who acquired Ekholm ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline as the club boosted his back end for the postseason. The former Nashville Predator was impactful from the start in Edmonton, recording four goals and 14 points in 21 regular season games and another seven points in 12 playoff games.

If there is anything positive from Ekholm’s absence is that it offers a chance for youngster Philip Broberg to take on more responsibility on the roster. The young defenseman skated in a career-high 46 games with the Oilers last year, but did not become a fixture of the Oilers. This could be his chance.

The preseason in Edmonton kicks off against the Winnipeg Jets at home on Sunday, Sept. 24. Then, the Oilers will face the Vancouver Canucks in their first regular season contest before hosting their home opener three nights later.

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