Oilers' Oscar Klefbom unlikely to play In 2021-22

During his media availability after Monday’s Duncan Keith trade, Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland mentioned that the chances of Oscar Klefbom playing hockey during the 2021-22 season are ’very slim.’ The news comes after Klefbom missed the entire 2020-21 season with a shoulder injury, meaning that he could very well miss two full seasons of NHL hockey.

It’s been a rough road in recent years for the Swedish defenseman. After Klefbom chose to have surgery during the 2020-21 campaign to repair an injured shoulder that hadn’t healed properly, his last NHL game was Aug. 7, 2020 against the Chicago Blackhawks. It was a huge blow to the Oilers, as Klefbom had averaged more than 25 minutes a night in 2019-20 and was blossoming into his prime.

It’s even more unfortunate news for Klefbom, who’s been a long but rewarding project over the course of his career. He’s been fairly productive offensively with 156 points in 378 career games, but he’s also been one of the most reliable Oilers defenders in his own end. Knowing this news might have fairly well pushed the Oilers into the Keith acquisition, knowing that they needed a body that could reliably serve on their second pairing with Klefbom out.

The future now looks rocky at best for Klefbom’s career as a whole. It's extremely hard to miss two full seasons without game action in any league, especially without knowing whether Klefbom’s shoulder will ever actually reach 100%. At this point, Klefbom and the Oilers can only hope for the best.