In a week full of some crazy NHL deals — see the Brady Tkachuk trade and the big Simon Nemec swap — we’ve got another one: talented young winger William Eklund is being shipped to the Ottawa Senators. The San Jose Sharks are getting at top-10 pick back in the swap at Friday’s 2026 NHL Draft. WOW.
It’s an intriguing deal on both sides as the Sharks continue to build around a young core that includes Maclin Celebrini and Will Smith, but what about Eklund? Apparently, he wasn’t in the cards.
So who won this deal? What are the details? As always, let’s break it down and hand out grades to the Sharks and Senators:
Senators and Sharks trade details
Sharks get: 2026 first-round draft pick (No. 9 overall)
Senators get: F William Eklund, F Kasper Halttunen and C Brandon Svoboda
Senators trade grade
WOW. Ottawa loses Brady Tkachuk and replaces him with a player who feels like one with more room to grow. Eklund comes off back-to-back 50-point seasons, and he’ll be 24 this year after he was the seventh overall pick in 2021.
Maybe the Sens don’t feel they’re going to get a win-now player at No. 9, so they went with a young, emerging talent instead and filled up the farm team with Halttunen (not a top prospect) and Svoboda. But the focus here is Eklund. If he can fully reach his potential, this will be a pretty good trade… as long as the No. 9 pick isn’t a game-changer. GRADE: B+
Sharks trade grade
Hmmm. Was Eklund and his $5.6 million AAV too much for a player who maybe isn’t living up to his potential? And maybe the No. 9 pick is a cheaper way to fill his spot? That’s my thinking here. Perhaps it’s freeing up cap space to make a run at some vets to help the Sharks take the next step. I just was surprised the franchise gave up on Eklund. But if they become a postseason team for the first time in years, it’ll be worth it. GRADE: B
This article originally appeared on For The Win: William Eklund trade grades for Sharks and Senators deal
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