P.K. Subban has a Norris Trophy. Roman Josi has magical puck skills. Ryan Ellis has a howitzer of a slapshot.

Mattias Ekholm? He’s the so-called all-round defenseman of the Preds’ big four on the blueline, right?

The one who doesn’t produce quite as many points, but is strong and steady on both ends of the ice?

It may be time to reconsider that popular line of thinking, at least as far as point production is concerned.

One season after collecting double-digit goals for the first time, Ekholm is off to the best offensive start of his career. Through the Preds’ first nine games, Ekholm leads all Nashville defensemen with seven points and is third on the team in assists with five.

Among all NHL defensemen, Ekholm was tied for 10th in points going into games Wednesday night.

Ekholm may not have Subban’s flair, Josi’s razzle-dazzle or Ellis’ cannon, but the 28-year-old Swede is pumping out the points on par with his more recognized teammates.

“I think he’s one of the most underrated offensive defensemen in the league,” said Predators coach Peter Laviolette, whose team hopes to rebound Thursday night in New Jersey after its loss Tuesday against San Jose.

“He’s very capable. When he gets on the back end of rushes, or when he’s wide on rushes, or he’s jumping into the offensive zone and attacking and going behind the net, we’re a better hockey team. So he’s encouraged to do that as much as he can.”

Drafted originally by the Predators for his skating ability and his two-way game, Ekholm said he began to develop the offensive side of his game under Phil Housley, a former Preds assistant coach. Housley, now the Buffalo Sabres’ head coach, totaled 1,232 points during a 21-year NHL career that took him to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“He taught me a lot about how to be an offensive defenseman and the way to join the rush,” Ekholm said. “He was always of the mindset that you can join as long as you can get back and cover. I always try to keep my wheels going when I’m in the offensive zone, so I can get back on defense.”

Thanks in part to Housley’s mentoring, Ekholm has topped the 30-point mark twice, first in 2015-16 (35) and again last season (34). But in both those seasons, Ekholm was getting a lot of power-play time — 1:08 per game in 2015-16 and 1:52 per contest in 2017-18.

Ekholm’s strong start this season has come despite the fact he’s averaging just 26 seconds of power-play time per contest. Laviolette has gone almost exclusively with the combinations of Josi-Ellis and Subban-Filip Forsberg on the points during power plays.

“I’m just trying to do my thing five-on-five, and so far it’s worked,” Ekholm said. “I think I’m creating offense for myself. I think I can be a go-to power-play guy as well. I just know that our team is stacked with talent on the back end, so for right now, it’s just a matter of stepping in if someone can’t go.”

The more Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban become familiar with each other, the better Ekholm has played. (Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today)

So how to explain the flurry of Ekholm points in the opening weeks of the season?

Forsberg theorizes it may come down to Ekholm’s increased familiarity playing alongside Subban, who was traded to Nashville before the 2016-17 season. The two have been a pair for much of their Music City tenure, combining for 17 points in 13 playoff games last season.

“He and P.K. have obviously been playing together for a couple years now, and they’re getting to know each other more and more every year,” Forsberg said. “I think that has a lot do with it. He didn’t really know what to expect when P.K. came in, but those two have really been going strong.”

Ellis sees Ekholm making good decisions on when to attack, perhaps able to do so more frequently because almost 53 percent of his zone starts have come in the Preds’ attacking zone — Ekholm’s highest figure in the past five years.

“He’s picking and choosing his spots, making the most of it,” Ellis said. “He’s a great decision-maker in that sense. I think you’re just seeing the puck go in for him now instead of the opposite.”

Ekholm is hardly shirking the defensive tasks at which he excels.

He’s seen more time on the penalty kill than any of his teammates, is tied for the most hits among Nashville defensemen (eight), and is tied for third on the team in blocked shots (13).

But when those defensive responsibilities have been satisfied, Ekholm has been roaring up the ice — and making an offensive impact like never before.

“It’s his skating that drives his engine,” Laviolette said. “He has a skill level, he sees the game and he has good offensive instincts. But he’s a guy that can really tear up the ice and make a difference in the game.”

(Top photo of Mattias Ekholm: Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today)