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William Eklund

Sharks Sign William Eklund To Three-Year Extension

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The Sharks have signed winger William Eklund to a three-year extension worth $5.6MM per season, the team announced. He was entering the final year of his entry-level contract as a pending RFA. It’s a total value of $16.8MM for Eklund on his first standard NHL contract. He’ll be due a $5.8MM qualifying offer on expiry, per PuckPedia.

Eklund, 22, was one of the first cornerstone draft picks of San Jose’s rebuild. Selected No. 7 overall in 2021, he’s had a productive run in a top-six role out of the gate for the Sharks. He’s played two full NHL seasons after seeing a nine-game trial in 2021-22 and an eight-game one in 2022-23. In 174 career games, he has 35 goals and 110 points. That includes a 17-goal, 58-point showing in 77 games for the Sharks this year, finishing second on the team in scoring behind rookie Macklin Celebrini and averaging 19:33 per game.

It’s a shrewd deal, particularly for Eklund. He’ll take a bridge deal now with the chance to likely double his salary upon becoming an RFA again in 2029 at age 26 if he continues on his current development path. For the Sharks, it’s a tad peculiar to see them not go long-term with Eklund or pay him a higher salary on his bridge. It’s worth pointing out that Eklund’s deal doesn’t affect their ability to reach the cap floor this season since it doesn’t go into effect until 2026-27.

In a vacuum, though, it’s an exceptional value over the next few years for the star potential Eklund provides. As the team around him develops, he’s on track to be a surefire 70-to-80-point producer for the Sharks as Celebrini’s wingman for the foreseeable future. He’s maintained his draft slot well, currently ranking seventh in scoring among 2021 draftees. He’s played fewer games than everyone ahead of him except for Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther.

Image courtesy of D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images.

Pacific Notes: Elias Pettersson, Marner, Eklund

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While the trade rumors don’t seem to subside related to the Vancouver Canucks’ forward Elias Pettersson, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun doesn’t believe the star forward will be dealt.

Rumors surrounding Petterson have been circulating since the trade deadline. At that time, the team was struggling, and Pettersson and J.T. Miller were at the forefront of trade speculation. While Miller was eventually dealt to the New York Rangers, Pettersson remained with the franchise that drafted him fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Despite a difficult 2024-25 season, Pettersson is still just 26 years old and already has five seasons with 27 or more goals to his name, and is two seasons removed from a 102-point campaign.

If the team does intend to move Petterson, they’ll have to do so before his full no-move clause kicks in July 1.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted on TSN 1050 that he believes the San Jose Sharks will make a run at pending free agent star Mitch Marner. While the Sharks have more than enough cap space to make the signing, with over $40 million available according to PuckPedia, and boast young talent like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, Johnston noted that he doesn’t view San Jose as a great fit for Marner. As Johnston said, “I would be surprised if he went to a place coming off a rebuild. I think he’s going to go to one of the better teams in the league.”
  • Sharks GM Mike Grier said he is not focused on signing winger William Eklund to an extension and is instead concerned with Eklund’s health above all else, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Eklund is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st, and Grier previously seemed committed to getting a deal done, noting that he had met with Eklund’s agent to get an early sense of what the asking price might be. Eklund took his game to the next level last season, posting career highs in goals (17), assists (41), and points (58). However, at the World Championships, he was involved in a scary incident when he was cut on the wrist by a skate. Although he was reported to be in stable condition afterward, the long-term effects remain uncertain.

West Notes: Robertson, Eklund, Ducks, Biro

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As a result of extensions handed out to Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen, the Stars enter the summer with less than $5MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, with several roster spots to fill.  Obviously, they’ll need to trim some salary somewhere but instead of looking to move some of their pricier role players, Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek posits the idea of moving Jason Robertson.  The 25-year-old has one year left on his contract with a $7.75MM cap hit and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer in line for a sizable raise.  While losing him would undoubtedly be a big hit to their roster as an 80-point player for three straight years now, it could also allow them to recoup some of the draft capital they moved out when they loaded up at the trade deadline and add some flexibility to round out their group this summer.

Elsewhere out West:

  • In his latest piece for NBC Sports Bay Area, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now examines what a William Eklund extension could look like. The winger is eligible for a new deal as of July 1st and after a solid 58-point effort this season, the Sharks will likely want to see if an early agreement can be reached.  In terms of recent comparable long-term deals, he suggests Calgary’s Matthew Coronato (seven years, $6.5MM per season) and Utah’s Dylan Guenther (eight years, $7.14MM per year) could stand as a reasonable starting point in discussions.
  • While the Ducks have a pair of restricted free agents that are popular speculative offer sheet candidates in Mason McTavish and Lukas Dostal, Derek Lee of The Hockey News explains why they shouldn’t be worried about it. With more than $38MM in cap space this summer per PuckPedia and increasingly high offer sheet thresholds, the price point where Anaheim might be inclined not to match a hypothetical offer sheet is likely much higher than any other team is willing to pay.
  • Pending Kraken UFA forward Brandon Biro is expected to sign with KHL Vityaz, relays Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express. The 27-year-old signed with Seattle in free agency last summer after seeing just five NHL games with Buffalo.  However, Biro didn’t see any time at the top level this season, instead collecting just six goals and 28 assists in 54 games with AHL Coachella Valley.

Sharks Notes: Eklund, Bordeleau, Gushchin, Poturalski

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Sharks winger William Eklund is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st and it appears that the team would like to get something done quickly.  GM Mike Grier told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that he recently met with Eklund’s agent to get an early sense of what the asking price might be on a new agreement.  Speculatively, that would be a long-term agreement as early extensions are rarely short-term bridge pacts although Grier said all options are on the table this early in the process.  The 22-year-old set career highs in goals (17), assists (41), and points (58) this season while finishing second in team scoring to Calder Trophy finalist Macklin Celebrini.  With the salary cap set to spike, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a long-term extension surpass the $8MM mark per season.

More from San Jose:

  • Center Thomas Bordeleau told reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link) that he has been dealing with a concussion and wasn’t particularly close to returning had the AHL’s Barracuda been able to go on a long playoff run. The 23-year-old played in 59 games in the minors this season, notching 14 goals and 24 assists as he heads to restricted free agency for the first time this summer.
  • Bordeleau also spoke about his status in the organization, voicing some frustration to reporters including Pashelka (Twitter link) about how the last couple of years have gone, saying that the message changed. It wasn’t long ago that it looked like he was on the verge of being a full-timer with the Sharks but instead, he played in just one game with the big club this season after getting into 27 in 2023-24.
  • Winger Daniil Gushchin is also set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Despite a strong year with the Barracuda that saw him pot 27 goals and 21 assists in 54 games, he only saw a dozen games with the Sharks, leading to some frustration earlier in the year as well.  Although there has been some speculation that he’d like to return to Russia, Peng relays that the 23-year-old’s intention is to remain in North America.  A three-time 20-goal scorer in the minors, it feels like Gushchin will be in tough to crack a full-time spot with the Sharks, especially if Grier goes out and adds some pieces this summer.
  • In that same column, another player who voiced some frustration about his usage this season was Andrew Poturalski. The 31-year-old led the AHL in scoring this season with 73 points, earning his first career MVP award but that only got him three games with the Sharks, a decision he said he doesn’t agree with.  Signed for one more year, there has been speculation that Poturalski could look to go to the KHL next season over remaining in the minors but the two sides would need to reach a mutual contract termination first before that could happen.

Team Sweden Announces 2025 World Championship Roster

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Team Sweden has announced their roster for the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championships. The ’Tre Konor’ will look to finish higher than third place in the international tournament for the first time since 2018.

The team will look similar to the one Sweden brought to the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Filip Forsberg, Lucas Raymond, and Mika Zibanejad will reprise their roles as Sweden’s top forwards, while Rasmus Andersson and Jonas Brodin will lead the defensive core.

Unfortunately, the team will be without forward William Eklund for the tournament due to offseason wrist surgery. Sweden is expected to announce Eklund’s replacement in the coming days. The rest of Team Sweden’s roster is as follows:

F Mikael Backlund (Flames)
F Anton Bengtsson (Rögle BK)
F Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
F Christoffer Ehn (Linköping HC)
F Filip Forsberg (Predators)
F Max Friberg (Frölunda HC)
F Jesper Frödén (ZSC Lions)
F Marcus Johansson (Wild)
F Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
F Isac Lundeström (Ducks)
F Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
F Alexander Wennberg (Sharks)
F Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
D Gabriel Carlsson (EV Zug)
D Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings)
D Adam Larsson (Kraken)
D Marcus Pettersson (Canucks)

G Samuel Ersson (Flyers)
G Jacob Markström (Devils)
G Arvid Söderblom (Blackhawks)

Sharks’ William Eklund Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss World Championship

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Team Sweden had a scary start to their pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the World Championship, when top forward William Eklund has his wrist cut by a skate blade. Eklund very quickly left the ice and received medical attention. Shortly after, his agent, Todd Diamond, told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey News that Eklund was in stable condition and that the cut seemed to avoid any major tendons or nerves. Now, Diamond has also told Peng that Eklund has undergone surgery to address his laceration and will spend the next three months recovering from the procedure. His recovery isn’t expected to interfere with Eklund’s preparation for next season’s training camp – but he will be forced to miss the entirety of the World Championship.

All things considered, Sharks fans can breath a sigh of relief with this news. Eklund’s injury was scary for many reasons, but the budding star should be able to mount a full recovery before his third full NHL season. Eklund was one of the few bright spots on the Stars roster last season, ending the year second on the team in scoring with 58 points in 77 games. He also recorded 41 assists in a full season next to superstar Macklin Celebrini, making Eklund the first Shark to break the 40-assist mark since Tomas Hertl in 2022-23 and Timo Meier in 2021-22. That’s certainly welcome company for the dynamic Eklund, especially as San Jose eyes adding another franchise-definer with a top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

This year marked Eklund’s first opportunity to participate with Sweden’s Men’s team on an intercontinental level. Unlike many top prospects, Eklund didn’t get any chance to participate in the World U18 Championship, and only appeared in two World Junior Championship games, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and an early COVID infection. He’ll now have to wait even longer before he can make an impact on Sweden’s trophy cabinet – though a feature on the World Championship roster, and a 40-assist season in the NHL, should give Eklund a good shot at making the 2026 Winter Olympics roster.

Snapshots: Eklund, Colton, Ullmark, ECHL

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Sharks winger William Eklund is in stable condition after being taken to the hospital after being cut on the wrist in a tune-up game for the upcoming World Championship, Eklund’s agent, Todd Diamond, told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.  The incident occurred during a board battle with defenseman Filip Hronek.  Diamond noted early indications are that no key tendons or nerves were cut on the play.  The tournament begins next week, with Sweden as the event’s co-host. However, given the injury, it wouldn’t be surprising if Eklund didn’t participate now.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Avalanche forward Ross Colton took part in today’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey, relays Ewan Rawal of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the series opener against Dallas and hasn’t played since; the non-contact restriction today suggests he won’t be available for the series’ final game tonight.  Colton got off to a hot start this season before dealing with some injury issues, finishing up with 16 goals and 11 assists in 61 games.
  • Speaking at Ottawa’s locker clean-out day, Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark told reporters, including TSN’s Claire Hanna (Twitter link), that while he indicated that he’d have liked to play for Sweden at the upcoming World Championship, the team has decided to go in a different direction. Sweden is a co-host of the event, but they already have their three goalies for the event in Samuel Ersson, Arvid Soderblom, and Arvid Holm.
  • On Friday, the ECHL announced it will welcome New Mexico into the league for the 2026-27 season. They will be the 31st franchise, getting closer to being lined up with the 32 in the NHL and AHL.  The Stars will serve as hockey operations consultants to help the franchise get up and running, while suggestions for the team’s name are now being taken.

Sharks Notes: Eklund, Vlasic, Thrun, Lund, Wennberg

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Sharks forward William Eklund has had discussions about playing for Sweden in the upcoming World Championship in his native Sweden, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.  The 22-year-old is having the best season of his young career with 15 goals and 35 assists through 64 games, good for a share for first in team scoring with Macklin Celebrini.  That should have him in line to play a prominent role for his country with several of Sweden’s top players expected to be unavailable due to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Elsewhere in San Jose:

  • Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is expected to get more imaging done soon on the upper-body injury that is plaguing him once again, Pashelka relays in the same column. The veteran is dealing with a recurrence of the injury that kept him out in the first half of the campaign.  Vlasic has played in just 17 games this season where he has two assists and 29 blocks in 15:28 of ice time per game, which is the second-lowest average of his career.  Head coach David Warsofsky indicated that it’s too early to know if this injury will be a season-ender for the 37-year-old.
  • Pashelka also mentions that blueliner Henry Thrun is expected to return to practice on Monday. He was initially listed as week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury on March 8th.  Through 52 games this season, the 24-year-old has a goal and nine assists in just under 17 minutes of playing time.
  • While recently signed forward Cameron Lund is burning the first year of his entry-level contract this season, he’s not expected to report to the team for a few more days, Pashelka reports (Twitter link).  Lund had 40 points in 37 games at Northeastern this season and should get into at least a few games down the stretch.
  • Center Alexander Wennberg should suit up tonight against Boston, reports Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link). He has been dealing with a lingering lower-body issue lately although it hasn’t caused him to miss any time recently.  Wennberg has eight goals and 23 assists through 64 appearances in his first season with the Sharks while logging over 18 minutes a night of action.

Sharks Activate William Eklund, Place Jake Walman On IR

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The Sharks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight versus New Jersey.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated forward William Eklund off injured reserve.  To make room on the roster, blueliner Jake Walman has been placed on IR.

Eklund has been dealing with an upper-body injury sustained just before the holiday break.  After a strong rookie year that saw him record 45 points in 80 games, the 22-year-old is on pace for a more productive campaign, notching seven goals and 20 assists through his first 36 appearances this season.

While it’s the fourth straight year in which Eklund has seen NHL action, his first two years didn’t see him burn a year of his entry-level deal since he played under ten games in each one.  Accordingly, he’s signed through the 2025-26 campaign but will be extension-eligible this summer and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the two sides try to work out an early long-term deal.

As for Walman, he has been out with a lower-body injury that also occurred a little before the break.  After being acquired in a salary cap dumping trade from Detroit, the 28-year-old has had a breakout year with the Sharks, recording five goals and 20 assists in 31 games while logging nearly 23 minutes a night of playing time.  He leads all San Jose defenders in points with 25 while his ATOI leads all Sharks players.

Despite the IR placement, Walman may not be there for long.  Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now notes that Walman skated before practice for the second straight day today, suggesting that he might not be too far from a return.  San Jose is eligible to back-date the placement to December 22nd and if they do so, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.

Sharks Place William Eklund On IR, Recall Collin Graf

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The San Jose Sharks are getting some much-needed forward depth before their game tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. The organization announced they recalled Collin Graf from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, and placed forward William Eklund on injured reserve to open up the roster spot.

There are no surprises with Eklund’s placement on the injured reserve. It’s been known for over a week that he would miss a few games with an upper-body injury making his transaction a formality. He’s eligible to return any day now considering the move was retroactive to December 23rd.

Still, he’s an important piece missing from the lineup. He’s still dealing with some growing pains at the NHL level but has been productive this season with seven goals and 20 assists in 36 games. He’s tied with Macklin Celebrini for second on the team in scoring despite being drafted only four years ago.

Graf doesn’t carry the same prospect pedigree as Eklund but has been an electric factory for the Barracuda this season. He’s scored six goals and 26 points in 29 games in his first full season with AHL San Jose good for second on the team in scoring.

The call-up should be a good opportunity for Graf to prove his long-term worth in the NHL. Should he continue his pace in the AHL, he’ll likely become a consistent player on the Sharks after their expected trade deadline activity.

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