When Did the Oilers’ Defence Get This Good? A Look Into Ekholm’s Hatty

It feels like just yesterday we were all watching Evan Bouchard get his hat trick and listening to Mattias Ekholm sing his praises. Okay, so it was literally the last game. But it’s the same difference.

Now it’s Ekholm’s turn. The veteran defenseman recorded a hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks, becoming just the fourth defenseman in Edmonton Oilers history to accomplish the feat. And here’s the wild part: when Bouchard did it, he was only the third. Fifty-four years of Oilers hockey, and only two defensemen—Paul Coffey and Marc-Andre Bergeron—had managed it. No Oilers defenseman with a hat trick in 20 years. Then all of a sudden, two games, not even a week apart, two D-partners pull off the same statistical miracle.

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If this isn’t a sign that things are trending in the right direction, I don’t know what is.

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Connor McDavid certainly thinks so. When asked about Ekholm’s performance, he didn’t hold back.

“We’re not talking greatness, we’re talking legendary,” McDavid said.

Legendary might be strong, but it’s not wrong. Ekholm’s been a steady, reliable presence on the Oilers’ blue line since arriving from Nashville. He doesn’t typically light up the scoresheet—he’s more about shutdown defence, smart positioning, and veteran leadership. So when he scores three goals in one game? Yeah, that’s legendary.

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“Some nights the bounces go your way. I will try to enjoy this one because it will probably be my last,” Ekholm said with a laugh. “I couldn’t buy a goal for twenty games, then three in one.”

That’s hockey for you. Sometimes the puck just finds you. But give Ekholm credit—he’s been a pillar on the Oilers blue-line for a while.

“Obviously he (Ekholm) has a bomb of a shot, and he knows how to use it,” Leon Draisaitl said.

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He does. Ekholm’s not just getting lucky bounces—he’s picking his spots, loading up, and firing. When a defenseman with his experience and shot gets opportunities, good things happen.

But here’s what makes this stretch even more significant: it’s not just Bouchard and Ekholm. It’s the entire Oilers defence. Against the Ducks, Edmonton’s blue line combined for five goals, two assists, and a plus-10. Five goals from defensemen in one game. That’s absurd. That’s the kind of offensive production from the back end that Stanley Cup teams get.

Spencer Stastney chipped in. Darnell Nurse scored. Bouchard’s been a force all season. And now Ekholm’s joining the party. The Oilers’ defence isn’t just preventing goals — it’s creating them.

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Sometimes (most of the time, let’s be honest), the Oilers get a reputation for having a lousy defensive structure. And some games, it’s warranted. We’ve watched them lose games because of defensive breakdowns, missed assignments, and untimely turnovers. But we’ve also seen this — two world-class performances from the top defensive pairing against two decent teams in less than a week.

It’s a bit perplexing. But it also shows things are coming together on the back end. The Oilers now have two solid goalies — Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram (sorry, Calvin Pickard; you will be missed). They’ve got outstanding performances from their top D-pairing. And they’re getting contributions from depth defensemen who are stepping up when needed.

“If we’re going to have success down the road, it’s going to be from the defensive side out,” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.

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He’s absolutely right. The Oilers have always been able to score. McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman—they’ll put up goals. But Cups aren’t won on offence alone. You need goaltending. You need defensemen who can move the puck, shut down opposing forwards, and contribute offensively when opportunities arise.

Right now, the Oilers are getting all of that. Bouchard and Ekholm are playing on another level. The depth defensemen are contributing. The goaltending’s been solid. And the structure—when they commit to it—is there.

Two hat tricks from defensemen in a week. That’s not normal. That’s not something you can count on happening again. But it’s a reflection of how dangerous this team can be when everything works. When the defence is active, when they’re shooting, when they’re confident—this team becomes nearly impossible to stop.

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Ekholm might never score another hat trick in his career. He’s probably right about that. But for one night against Anaheim, he was legendary. And the Oilers’ defence? It’s starting to look like it might actually be good enough to win something.

Keep your eye on the blue line. It might just take the Oilers to that next level.

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