The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm to a three-year, $12 million contract extension, the team announced Wednesday morning ahead of their season-opener against the Calgary Flames.

Ekholm is entering the final year of his current contract, which carries a $6.25 million cap hit. The Oilers have been paying $6 million of that. This new deal will begin in the 2026-27 campaign and expires when Ekholm is 39.

EK YEAH! 💪

The #Oilers have signed defenceman Mattias Ekholm to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $4 million. pic.twitter.com/pl0NzodiFB

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 8, 2025

“It’s always nice to get it done before the season starts,” he said. “It was maybe at the last hour, but we’re super happy it got done, and we’re happy to stay in Edmonton.

“I want to retire in Edmonton. That’s the whole goal of this deal. We’ll see at 39 if I have another year in me, but let’s start with this and see where it goes.”

Ekholm was acquired in February 2023 by the Oilers from the Nashville Predators, who retained $250,000 on the contract per year in the deal. He has gone on to become an integral part of Edmonton’s defense, forming one of the best pairings in the NHL alongside Evan Bouchard during that span.

“There’s a lot of things that he does that I can’t,” Ekholm said of his connection with Bouchard. “There might be, conversely, some things in the way that I think the game is maybe not the way that he thinks it. That makes us a good duo. We can help each other where we have our weaknesses.”

Over 135 games with the Oilers, Ekholm has recorded 24 goals and 92 points.

The off-ice fit has been tremendous, too. He’s part of the leadership group and wore an alternate captain’s “A” amid injuries last season.

“In the dressing room, the guys have so much respect for him because he’s a pretty honest player,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “He’ll call out guys when they’re not playing their best.”

“He’s a huge part of our team,” goalie Stuart Skinner added. “He’s a huge team player. He deserves all that he’s getting.”

Ekholm’s third child, son Leon, was born in Edmonton. He’s repeatedly said how much his wife, Ida, and his children love the city.

“It’s been the full package when it comes to our family,” Ekholm said. “There wasn’t any question marks. We just wanted to find a fair number. We definitely wanted to stay.”

Ekholm’s contract was announced two days after the Oilers re-signed captain Connor McDavid and blueliner Jake Walman. McDavid’s two-year, $12.5 million AAV extension clearly signifies a three-year contention window for the Oilers, back-to-back Stanley Cup finalists.

“Knowing that Connor will be here, and what he did with his contract, knowing that we can build around that as well is very exciting to me,” Ekholm said. “We’ve gotten that close. That was a big part of staying.”

Ekholm suffered a torn abductor in March, which kept him out of Edmonton’s lineup down the stretch and limited him to seven playoff games during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.