Mattias Ekholm News: Gathers two helpers in win

Ekholm notched two assists, three hits and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 9-4 win over the Kraken.

Ekholm has been productive with a goal and five helpers over his last five games. That follows a stretch in which he had just one assist over 12 outings. The 35-year-old defenseman is vital to the Oilers' defensive efforts, so scoring will often take a backseat to protecting his own zone, though he can be a strong all-around contributor in the best of times. For the year, he has two goals, 11 helpers, 56 shots on net, 49 blocked shots, 22 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 28 appearances.