Ottawa Senators acquire William Eklund from Sharks for ninth draft pick
The Ottawa Senators have acquired forward William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the ninth overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.
The deal also sees prospect Kasper Halttunen and the rights to Brandon Svoboda head to the Canadian capital.
Ottawa’s move comes just 48 hours after they traded club captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for a substantial haul of draft assets.
Filling the offensive void
Moving their former leader allowed the Senators to secure future capital rather than risk losing the American for nothing.
However, his departure left a significant gap in their attacking lines after he averaged nearly a point per game over his tenure.
The ninth pick sent to San Jose was originally acquired from Florida in that very same blockbuster trade.
In Eklund, Ottawa secures a highly-rated, two-way forward who entered the league as the seventh overall selection in 2021.
Cap space and contract stability
The 23-year-old recorded 15 goals and 53 points in 78 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign.
He arrives with three years remaining on his current contract, which carries an annual value of $5.6m (£4.4m).
Following the move, the franchise retains over $19m in salary cap space to potentially utilise before free agency opens next week.
San Jose stockpile draft capital
For the Sharks, parting ways with the young winger represents a major shift in their ongoing rebuild strategy.
The Californian outfit now holds three first-round selections in this year’s draft, including two highly coveted top-10 picks.
Holding the second overall selection behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose are widely expected to target Frölunda winger Ivar Stenberg as a direct replacement.