The Edmonton Oilers are off to a horrific start. After their 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday (Oct. 26), they are 1-5-1 through their first seven games, putting them second to last in the NHL. They have had some strong moments, but they’ve been unable to finish strong and have paid the price. They have a team built to win a championship, but they have to put in a full 60-minute effort every game.
Away from the rink, the most recent player rankings The Athletic did back in September are gathering a lot of mixed reviews from fans and players around the league. Some were upset that Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm was ranked above Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson, with one anonymous player even going as far as to curse out Ekholm in response.
“Ekholm before (Rasmus Andersson)? F–k Ekholm…he’s in All-Star tier? Oh my god … Can I get out of here? He’s not good. He’s not that good. He shouldn’t even be on this list in any tier. He’s good defensively. But come on, All-Star tier?”
(from ‘NHL Players React To Our Player Tiers,’ The Athletic, Oct. 24, 2023)
It says a lot that this came from an anonymous NHL player, and for them to be this defensive about their opinion and to go as far as to curse out Ekholm really sends a message. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it’s a little surprising. Looking at this anonymous player’s response, here’s a comparison between the two players.
Mattias Ekholm – Edmonton Oilers
Ekholm, 33, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators (102nd overall). He played 11 seasons with the Predators and was midway through his 12th season when they shipped Ekholm to the Oilers in exchange for Tyson Barrie ahead of last season’s trade deadline. Ekholm became a crucial member of the Oilers’ playoff run that came up short in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
Ekholm was brought in to bolster the team’s defensive core, and he did just that. In 21 regular-season games, he scored four goals and 14 points and had a goal and six assists through 12 playoff games. He was a stud defensively and helped elevate the play of youngster Evan Bouchard, who seemed comfortable playing alongside him. While his start to the new season hasn’t been the star-studded start everyone had expected, he has still been able to hold his own defensively, and coming off of an injury to start the season, he seems to have found his confidence again.
Rasmus Andersson – Calgary Flames
Andersson, 26, was drafted by the Flames in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (53rd overall). He had a stellar draft year with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), scoring 12 goals and 64 points through 67 games, and seemed to be a lock to make the Flames’ roster within a few seasons.
Related: Oilers Insider Labels Evan Bouchard a “Tire Fire”
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Over eight seasons (382 games) with the Flames, he has scored 28 goals and 164 points. He has also been one of the best defensive players on the Flames in that time and continues to get better. Now in the prime of his career, he’s the best defender on the team this season as they look to get back into the playoff picture and with a rough start, they’ll be looking to him to help lead them back to their winning ways.
Ekholm vs. Andersson
Both are top defencemen on their team, but they also both have their weaknesses. Ekholm is the more experienced player, but he’s off to a slower start offensively this season with only one assist through six games, while Andersson has a goal and two assists through five games, and is currently serving a four-game suspension for a hit he laid on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine.
Defensively, Ekholm has a slight edge. If the Oilers can find their game, Ekholm will be a huge part of their success going forward, and while Andersson is strong, he doesn’t have the same impact on his team. At the end of the day, I think it’s easy to say Ekholm is the more impactful and skilled player of the two.
Both the Oilers and Flames have had rough starts to begin the 2023-24 season. Hopefully, they can find their games and become forces to be reckoned with come playoff time. Both Ekholm and Andersson are skilled defenders, so hopefully they can block out the noise and continue to be the elite-level players their fans have come to know and love.