Preseason hockey hardly has any merit other than in social media banter with fans across the NHL. Although the end results in these games don’t necessarily matter, William Eklund’s first impression in an Ottawa Senators uniform surely did. With the Senators and the Montreal Canadiens both bringing a strong veteran presence for the annual Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières, Québec, it took Eklund less than two minutes to introduce himself as he scored on the Senators’ first shot of the game.
Over the last few days during the Senators training camp, Eklund was on a regular line rotation with his friend and former San Jose Sharks teammate, Fabian Zetterlund and skillful centre, Dylan Cozens. Reuniting Zetterlund and Eklund seemed inevitable with their strong chemistry in San Jose but one of the lingering questions prior to camp was who could be their centre? It seems like the trio could be the perfect match and could end up being a serviceable top line for the nation’s capital.
WILLIAM EKLUND OPENS THE SCORING AT #KRAFTHOCKEYVILLE! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/nIzAPiBCTB
— NHL (@NHL) September 21, 2026
Lund, Lund and Co.
Prior to the game, Zetterlund echoed his excitement to play on a line with Cozens and Eklund which may be nicknamed the ‘Lund, Lund and Co.’ line. He mentioned how the trio complement each other well due to Zetterlund’s puck retrieval, Cozens’ size and physicality and Eklund’s skilled puck possession. This is almost exactly what happened when Cozens carried the puck down the ice to set up Eklund’s goal that beat Canadiens goaltender, Samuel Montembault cleanly.
Throughout the game, the Senators hopeful second line was a consistent highlight. The three players didn’t seem to have a strong case of pre-season fatigue that so many veteran players seem to have in these types of games and their line accounted for two even strength goals. What’s even more remarkable is that Eklund’s chemistry with the Senators didn’t just end there. Despite being on different lines, Eklund and newly extended Senator for life, Drake Batherson also showed some chemistry on some beautiful feeds that just couldn’t find the back of the net.
From puck drop to the final horn, Eklund’s feet were moving and he made his mark at Colisée Vidéotron. As the regular season draws closer, Senators fans can rest assured knowing that they should get ample opportunities to see this line live at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Add us as a preferred source on Google