Oilers game sheet: why Arvidsson will play instead of Ekholm

Mattias Ekholm’s return could have gone one of two ways.

A clutch performance in a series-winning game that carried the Edmonton Oilers into the Stanley Cup finale in which they would, of course, dominate from the back end.

The story writes itself: Ekholm, the star of Edmonton.

Or, in a much more unrealistic outcome, Ekholm could join the Oilers near the end of the series — think games 5,6,7 — and transition into the Stanley Cup final if the Oilers were to make it that far.

But that’s boring, and this is the Oilers.

Enter this super secret third option that Ekholm relayed to the media about 24 hours earlier than he probably should have.

“I think it’s going to be soon, whether it’s tomorrow or the next game,” confirmed Ekholm between games three and four. “Whatever it is, I’m happy with my body. I’m happy the way I feel, and really excited about where the team’s at and how they’re playing.”

Up 2-1 against the Dallas Stars, who looked a lot scarier before the series started than they do halfway through.

Thank Edmonton’s solid defensive core that protects the paint and keeps pucks in the offensive zone for that.

Something like “good defence generates good offence,” per Kris Knoblauch’s cliche of the day.

And so, Ekhom’s return seemed inevitable within that game four window.

Not to mention Connor Brown’s injury by Alex Petrovic opened up the doors for the Oilers to run an 11-7 lineup and not scratch Troy Stecher, who’s been out-performing the expectations placed on him.

Yes, Brown’s a forward and Ekholm’s a defencemen, and yes, there are scratched players ready to jump in — subtle foreshadowing to Victor Arvidsson — but the chance to allow Ekholm an adjust game while the Oilers are up in a series? It almost seems to good to be true.

And it is.

“If we were down 3-0 (in the series), it would have been a different situation,” explained Ekholm when asked if he would have returned sooner had the Oilers been down in the series. “At the same time, when I’m healthy, I obviously want to get back, and it’s not just to go back either, (I) probably need a couple of shifts or so to feel calm and whatnot.

“So it’s obviously a little bit of a balance. It’s not that I can sit here and wait for a clinching game in the Cup final, per se, or in the series, to just jump in and be great. It’s going to be a process. So it’s a bit of a balance, feeling good by giving the time, but also knowing that time is maybe not of the essence.”

And so, Knoblauch will rotate Arvidsson back into the lineup, potentially with Adam Henrique and Evander Kane, or onto a fourth line with Vasily Podkolzin and Mattias Janmark, while Ekholm sits in the press box for a game or two longer.

It is at this point that you might be wondering what the reason for Ekholm sitting and Arvidsson playing actually is.

Fair enough.

Ekholm is healthy, an 11-7 lineup could work well, and it removes the need to scratch a well-perfomring defencemen while bringing in a world-class component to the blue line.

From that perspective, who wouldn’t go for it?

“I think anyone can play in the NHL from that level. It’s the easiest place in the world to watch,” according to Ekholm on viewing the game from the press box as opposed to on ice. “You’re thinking, ‘Oh my God, why did you make that pass? Or this and that.’ (But) when you’re down on the ice, it’s the best level in the world.

“And if you’re in the third round, your team’s not playing bad. There’s nobody that’s a passenger at that point. I’m more happy that the D-Core has played really well and have been throughout the whole playoffs. And it’s not my decision at the end of the day, it’s obviously the coach and the management.”

Which brings us to Knoblauch’s perspective.

The Oilers have benefited from depth performances by Arvidsson in the past — literally round one — and it is perhaps cleaner than expecting a defencemen to behave as a forward.

Let’s not forget that with last line change, Ekholm may not be needed just yet.

In other words, loop back around for game five in Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers expected lineup