Senators land winger William Eklund from San Jose
GM Steve Staios flips the No. 9 pick acquired in the Tkachuk trade to bring in the 23-year-old forward and two prospects.
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The Ottawa Senators acquired winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks on June 23, less than 48 hours after trading captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida.
General manager Steve Staios used the No. 9 overall pick he received from the Panthers in the Tkachuk deal to land Eklund, plus forward prospect Kasper Halttunen and the rights to unsigned draft pick Brandon Svoboda.
"William is a dynamic and skilled forward who plays with a competitive edge," Staios said. "We are excited to welcome him to the Senators organization, and he will fit in well with our core group of players."
The 23-year-old finished last season with 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points in 78 games with San Jose. Over his NHL career, he has 163 points (50 goals, 113 assists) in 252 games. He was selected No. 7 overall by San Jose in the 2021 draft.
Eklund is already signed to an extension that will pay him an average annual value of $5.6 million U.S. per season for the next three years, giving the Senators cost certainty.
The Swedish forward is best friends with Fabian Zetterlund, a current Senators forward they played with in San Jose. The Citizen reported Eklund was caught off guard by the trade and didn't expect to be moved.
With Eklund now on the roster, the Senators have $19 million in cap space for next season. The team still holds the No. 25 pick from the Panthers deal and is looking to add more help up front, particularly exploring interest in Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks.