Mattias Ekholm will miss at least a week for the Oilers after a scary third-period collision with William Carrier on Thursday.
Carrier knocked the veteran defenseman down early in the third, and his head appeared to hit the ice. He was unsteady getting up and needed help to the dressing room.
There was immediate concern about a concussion. No official diagnosis has been disclosed.
He never returned, though he was reportedly in the locker room when teammates came back after the 6-5 shootout win over Carolina.
Mike Babcock confirmed the timeline. Shakir Mukhamadullin is expected to draw in Saturday against Toronto.
The clip is hard to watch: Ekholm goes down after the contact from Carrier, then wobbles on his skates as he tries to find his balance.
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Edmonton loses more than a body here. Ekholm owns a +15 rating, second only to Evan Bouchard among Oilers defensemen.
Shakir Mukhamadullin gets his shot against the Maple Leafs
Mukhamadullin has a goal in five games, but he's also a -5. That's the number Babcock will be watching closest.
At 24, and on a $1,750,000 deal, this is his window to stick. Struggle against Toronto, and the leash gets short in a hurry.
The rest of the back end isn't exactly bulletproof. Jake Walman is carrying a $7,000,000 cap hit with just one point through seven games.
Losing a 36-year-old anchor is like pulling the keel out of a sailboat. It still floats, but the first strong gust tells you what's missing.
The Oilers sit 8-1-1 and have won three straight. The Leafs arrive riding a three-game streak of their own.
Toronto has been scoring 3.6 goals per game. That's a stiff test for a reshuffled blue line.
The veteran is expected to be out until at least October 31. That covers Toronto, Detroit and Calgary on this homestand.
Edmonton shouldn't rush him back. A 36-year-old who left the ice that unsteady needs every day of that timeline, and then some.
The bigger question is whether Stan Bowman starts shopping for blue-line help if one week quietly turns into three.
Should the Oilers trade for a defenseman now that Mattias Ekholm is out?
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