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Loading…A 82.5 overall puts Ekholm 36th among 327 rated defensemen, comfortably in the league's top quarter at the position.
His best component is play driving at 77, with penalty killing (24) trailing the rest of his game.
Over 13 rated seasons since 2013-14 he has averaged 80.2, peaking at 96.1 in 2017-18; last season's 89.2 was right in line with the year before.
At $4M through 2028-29 before unrestricted free agency, the model rates the deal Underpaid: his expected value is $10.4M, so the Edmonton Oilers save roughly $6.38M a season against his production.
His cap hit is the 9th-largest on the Edmonton Oilers NHL roster and uses 3.8% of the $104M ceiling; the club currently has $2.87M in cap space.
| Component | Rating (0-100) |
|---|---|
| Offense | 73 |
| Defense | 66 |
| Play driving | 77 |
| Finishing | 56 |
| Power play | 63 |
| Penalty kill | 24 |
| Season | Team | GP | Overall | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | EDM | 82 | 89.2 | 0.2 |
| 2024-25 | EDM | 65 | 89.2 | 0.2 |
| 2023-24 | EDM | 79 | 94 | 0.6 |
| 2022-23 | EDM | 78 | 95.3 | 0.5 |
| 2021-22 | NSH | 76 | 45.8 | -0.5 |
| 2020-21 | NSH | 48 | 70.9 | -0.2 |
| 2019-20 | NSH | 68 | 63.5 | -0.2 |
| 2018-19 | NSH | 80 | 95.4 | 0.3 |
| 2017-18 | NSH | 81 | 96.1 | 0.4 |
| 2016-17 | NSH | 82 | 60.6 | -0.3 |
Other EDM defensemen by rating: Evan Bouchard (98.8), Ryan Shea (64.2), Jake Walman (37.9), Shakir Mukhamadullin (28.9). See the full Edmonton Oilers cap sheet.
How we rate players: each skater's overall is a percentile (0-100) built from offense, defense, play driving, finishing, power-play and penalty-kill impact against players at the same position; goalies are rated on goals saved above expected. Contract value compares the cap hit with the salary the model expects for that level of production, age and position. Figures are updated as new games and signings arrive.