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William Eklund

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William Eklund
Eklund with the San Jose Sharks in April 2026
Born (2002-10-12) 12 October 2002 (age 23)
Haninge, Sweden
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Ottawa Senators
Djurgårdens IF
San Jose Sharks
NHL draft 7th overall, 2021
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2020–present

William Eklund (born 12 October 2002) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered the top international prospect for the 2021 NHL entry draft by NHL Central Scouting,[1] he was selected seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks.

Playing career

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Djurgårdens IF

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Eklund joined the Djurgårdens IF team in the J20 Nationell in the 2018–19 season and made 44 appearances with the team over two seasons, scoring 13 goals and 26 assists for 29 points.[2] He made his senior debut for Djurgården in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on 4 January 2020, in a 4–2 win away against IK Oskarshamn.[3] He played a total of 20 regular season games and scoring two points during the rest of the 2019–20 SHL season.[4] However, on 15 March, the Swedish Hockey Association cancelled the remainder of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In his first full season with Djurgården's senior team in 2020–21, he played in 40 games, scoring 11 goals and 23 points.[4] He was named the SHL rookie of the year and Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year after leading all juniors in goals and second in points.[6] The team made the playoffs and faced Frölunda HC in the opening round best-of-three series. Frölunda won the series two games to one and in the three playoff games, Eklund added one goal and two points.[4][7] He rejoined Djurgården in the 2021–22 season and made 29 appearances, scoring just once and adding 14 points.[4]

San Jose Sharks

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Eklund was selected seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2021 NHL entry draft.[2] He was signed by the Sharks to a three-year, entry-level contract on 16 August 2021.[8] He made his NHL debut on 16 October, in a 4–3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, where he also registered his first point, an assist.[9] After playing nine games with the Sharks and registering four points, he was reassigned back to Sweden on 5 November.[6]

To begin the 2022–23 season, Eklund was assigned to San Jose's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, on 10 October 2022.[10] He spent the majority of the season in the AHL, tallying 17 goals and 41 points in 54 games.[4] He was recalled by the Sharks in March 2023 following a series of trades that cleared space on the NHL team.[11] He scored his first NHL goal on 14 March, in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[12] He was returned to the AHL on 18 March after recording two goals and three points in eight games.[13] However, his return to the Barracuda was short-lived as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a game against the Colorado Eagles on 22 March that required surgery to repair.[14]

He opened the 2023–24 season on the Sharks roster, playing on the second line alongside Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin.[15][16] He recorded a three-point game on 5 December, recording two assists and scoring the overtime game winner in a 5–4 win over the New York Islanders.[17] On 6 April 2024, he netted his first NHL hat trick, scoring all three of the team's goals in a 3–2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.[18] He finished the season with 16 goals and 49 points in 80 games as the Sharks failed to make the playoffs.[4][19] In the 2024–25 season, Eklund played with Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund.[20] He recorded a three-point game on 14 January 2025 in a 6–3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.[21] He scored 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games as the Sharks failed to make the playoffs again.[4][22]

On 1 July, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Sharks.[23] In his first year of his deal in 2025–26, he recorded two three-point games early in the season on 23 and 26 October.[24][25] He was placed on the team's shutdown line alongside Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg, scoring five goals and 11 points in the team's first 12 games before suffering a lower body injury in November.[26] He returned to the lineup after missing four games on 11 November.[27] He finished the season with 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games as the Sharks missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season of Eklund's career and seventh overall.[4][28]

Ottawa Senators

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On 23 June 2026, Eklund was traded to the Ottawa Senators alongside forwards Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda for a 2026 first-round pick.[29]

International play

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Eklund was named for the preliminary Swedish junior team roster for the 2021 World Junior Championships, but tested positive for COVID-19, preventing him from joining the final roster for the tournament.[30]

Eklund made his debut with the Sweden senior team on 28 April 2021, in a friendly game against Denmark where he scored one goal and made one assist.[31] He was named to Sweden's roster for the 2025 World Championship, but got injured in a pre-tournament game.[32]

Personal life

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Eklund is the son of former ice hockey player Christian Eklund, who also played for Djurgården.[33] William's brother, Victor, is also an ice hockey player,[34] who was drafted 16th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft. Along with Victor, William has four younger step-siblings.[35]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2018–19 Djurgårdens IF J20 131236 8260
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF J20 3112243622 —————
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF SHL 200224 —————
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF SHL 401112232 31122
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF SHL 29113144 —————
2021–22 San Jose Sharks NHL 90442 —————
2022–23 San Jose Barracuda AHL 5417244143 —————
2022–23 San Jose Sharks NHL 82136 —————
2023–24 San Jose Sharks NHL 8016294530 —————
2024–25 San Jose Sharks NHL 7717415829 —————
2025–26 San Jose Sharks NHL 7815385332 —————
SHL totals 8912273910 31122
NHL totals 2525011316399 —————

International

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Year Team Event Result GPGAPtsPIM
2019 Sweden HG18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 51232
Junior totals 51232

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
SHL
Rookie of the Year 2021 [36]
Swedish junior player of the year 2021 [37]
NHL
E. J. McGuire Award of Excellence 2021 [38]

References

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  1. ↑ "2021 Draft Prospects Ranking", NHL.com, National Hockey League, archived from the original on 29 May 2021, retrieved 27 May 2021
  2. 1 2 "Sharks Select William Eklund with Seventh Overall Pick". San Jose Sharks. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021 – via NHL.com.
  3. ↑ Ränkeskog, Gustaf (4 January 2020). "Vinst när ikonens son debuterade" [Win when the icon's son debuted]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "William Eklund". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Clinton, Jared (15 March 2020). "Swedish Ice Hockey Association cancels remainder of season for all major competitions". The Hockey News. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Sharks Reassign William Eklund to Djurgardens". San Jose Sharks. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via NHL.com.
  7. ↑ "Weekly Recap: Welcome to the Playoffs". Swedish Hockey League. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Sharks Sign 2021 Seventh Overall Selection William Eklund". San Jose Sharks. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021 – via NHL.com.
  9. ↑ Dubow, John. "Sharks' rookies Eklund, Weatherby lead comeback victory over Jets". CBC Sports. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Peng, Sheng (10 October 2022). "Bordeleau, Eklund demoted as Sharks face tough roster decisions". NBC Sports California. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (3 March 2023). "After trades, San Jose Sharks recall top prospect from AHL". The Mercury News. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Gaudreau has 5 points as Blue Jackets beat Sharks 6–5 in OT". ESPN. Associated Press. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  13. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (18 March 2023). "Why the San Jose Sharks reassigned William Eklund to the AHL". The Mercury News. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (31 March 2023). "Sharks' top prospect has shoulder surgery; how long might recovery take?". The Mercury News. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Peng, Sheng (9 October 2023). "Eklund, Bordeleau make Sharks' 2023-24 opening night roster". NBC Sports California. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Stephens, Eric (13 October 2023). "Ten big questions for the Sharks to answer after their season opener". The Athletic. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  17. ↑ Rosner, Stefan (6 December 2023). "Sharks rally from 3 down in 3rd, defeat Islanders on late OT goal". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "William Eklund nets hat trick with OT goal, and Devin Cooley gets first win as Sharks beat Blues 3-2". ESPN. Associated Press. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Morreale, Mike G. (13 March 2024). "Sharks eliminated, unable to overcome slow start, injuries to Hertl, Couture". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Miller, Max (10 November 2024). "Sharks put 'Lund' Line Back Together; William Eklund Looking to Fulfill Warsofsky's Impact the Game Message". The Hockey News. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Eklund posts 3-point game as Sharks beat Red Wings 6-3 and end Detroit's 7-game win streak". ESPN. Associated Press. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Van Diest, Derek (17 March 2025). "Sharks miss playoffs for 6th straight season, doomed by lack of secondary scoring". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Sharks sign William Eklund to a three-year contract extension". San Jose Sharks. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025 – via NHL.com.
  24. ↑ Rosen, Dan (23 October 2025). "Celebrini gets hat trick, 5 points, Sharks defeat Rangers in OT for 1st win". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Pierce, Jessi (26 October 2025). "Celebrini stays hot, helps Sharks recover for OT win against Wild". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  26. ↑ Espy, William (2 November 2025). "SJHN Daily: Eklund Dealing With Injury, Warsofsky Blooper, Players Rank Favorite Sharks Jerseys". San Jose Hockey Now. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  27. ↑ Pashelka, Curtis (11 November 2025). "Sharks-Wild preview: Eklund's back; what channel is showing Tuesday's game?". The Mercury News. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Van Diest, Derek (14 April 2026). "Sharks miss playoffs for 7th straight season, lack of secondary scoring among factors". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  29. ↑ "Ottawa Senators acquire William Eklund and two prospects from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a first-round pick in 2026". NHL.com. 23 June 2026. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  30. ↑ Wagner, Daniel (7 December 2020). "COVID-19 could mean Canucks' Costmar gets a major opportunity at the World Junior Championship". Vancouver is Awesome. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  31. ↑ Ahlberg, Ingela (28 April 2021). "Tre Kronor-debutanten glänste mot Danmark". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  32. ↑ Lazary, Spencer (6 May 2025). "Sharks' William Eklund Ruled Out For World Championships". The Hockey News. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  33. ↑ Ögren, Vendela (15 February 2020). "Inte längesen man stod där i klacken och skrek". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  34. ↑ Bengtsson, Janne (16 August 2021). "William näste från hockeyfamiljen Eklund". NHL.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  35. ↑ Kloke, Joshua (23 July 2021). "Sharks' pick William Eklund's drive to achieve his NHL dream boosted by his off-ice teammates". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  36. ↑ "Vinnare av Årets rookie i SHL 2020/2021" [Winner of the Rookie of the Year in SHL 2020/2021] (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  37. ↑ "William Eklund, Djurgårdens IF är Årets Junior 2020/2021" [William Eklund, Djurgårdens IF is the Junior of the Year 2020/2021]. swehockey.se. Swedish Ice Hockey Association. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  38. ↑ Morreale, Mike (5 July 2021). "Eklund receives E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
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