When the Ottawa Senators acquired William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks just days after they shipped out their captain Brady Tkachuk, the reaction within the fanbase was mixed. The initial shock of their captain wanting out was heartbreaking. But then to replace him with Eklund, who is a vastly different player, had fans feeling a bit worried about the future.
However, now that it has been a few months since the trade happened and with training camp right around the corner, It is a good time to look at what Eklund can bring to the Senators' organization.
Still young and still improving
Eklund is 23 years old. He is hitting his stride in the league as a 50-point player who can still grow into much more. He was not able to get first-line minutes in San Jose but was still a solid contributor in the middle-six minutes. Pairing him with a player like Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson would be amazing for his game.
Contract will be flexible for roster building
Eklund starts his three-year, $16.8 million deal ($5.6 million AAV) this season. That’s right, this season. His salary will look like a steal as he starts to play on the first line. His contract is flexible for the team to use some extra space to build the roster into a contender.
Great shot and great speed
Eklund possesses two skills that this offense was looking for heading into this season: a phenomenal shot and some great wheels. His hardest shot last season was 143.65 km/h.
GOAL OF THE YEAR 😮
— NHL (@NHL) August 2, 2026
William Eklund takes the top spot on our top 25 goals countdown! pic.twitter.com/OY8Xl25Mhj
He tends to shoot the puck frequently, which is good for an elite playmaker like Stutzle to play with. He also has a top skating speed of 35.90 km/h with 109 bursts of 32-25 km/h in the season. He brings the archetype Senators fans have begged for: a speedy winger who has a good shot.
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