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Victor Eklund

Snapshots: Zary, Eklund, Brennan

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The Calgary Flames grabbed headlines yesterday after signing forward Martin Pospisil to a three-year, $7.5MM extension. Still, restricted free agent forward Connor Zary remains unsigned heading into August, and negotiations are reportedly moving more slowly than expected.

In a new article from Daniel Austin of The Calgary Herald, when asked about Zary’s status, the journalist quoted Flames General Manager Craig Conroy saying, “We’re talking. It’s been slow, though. Even with Pospisil, there comes a point where it heats up and you think ‘Now we’re close’ and then you’re able to get it done really quick. Pospisil was probably two, three months we were talking with (agent Dan Millstein).”

Much of the disagreement reportedly centers on the contract length, with the Flames favoring a bridge deal and Zary advocating for a long-term contract. In all seriousness, Zary likely hasn’t earned a long-term deal yet, unless he’s willing to take a below-market salary. Over the past two years, the former 24th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has scored 27 goals and recorded 61 points in 117 games with the Flames, achieving a +5 rating while averaging 15:39 of ice time per game.

Other snapshots:

  • To little surprise, Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News reported earlier that recent first-round pick of the New York Islanders, Victor Eklund, won’t join the team for rookie camp or development camp in a few weeks. It’s already well known that this summer’s 16th overall selection will play for the SHL’s Djurgårdens IF this next season, and may lose his spot in the lineup if he misses the first few weeks of the regular season for Islanders training camp. Since he isn’t vying for a role on New York’s opening night roster, it makes far more sense for Eklund to continue his development overseas.
  • According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Barry Brennan as their new strength and conditioning coach. Brennan had previously served as the Blue Jackets’ conditioning coach from 2005 to 2010, before serving in the same role with the Atlanta Thrashers for the 2010-11 season, before becoming a team consultant for the KHL’s CSKA Moskva. He’ll replace now-former strength and conditioning coach Kevin Collins, who had been serving in the role since Brennan’s departure ahead of the 2010-11 season.

Islanders Sign Victor Eklund To Entry-Level Contract

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1:42 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Eklund will earn an NHL salary of $877.5K, an AHL salary of $85K, and a signing bonus of $97.5K each year, and up to an additional $500K in “A” performance bonuses. That’ll bring his cap hit to $975K, and his AAV up to $1.475MM.

1:30 p.m.: The New York Islanders have put pen to paper with one of their first-round selections of the 2025 NHL Draft. According to a team announcement, the Islanders have signed forward Victor Eklund to a three-year entry-level contract.

Using one of the draft selections acquired in the trade that sent defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, New York selected Eklund 16th overall. The Stockholm, Sweden native was the second-ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting, and was projected as a mid-first-round talent.

A teammate of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell, Eklund is coming off an impressive season with HockeyAllsvenskan’s Djurgårdens IF. His recent campaign saw his draft stock improve slightly, as Daily Faceoff projected him as the 24th overall pick around this time last year.

Helping promote Djurgårdens IF back to the SHL after their relegation in 2021-22, Eklund scored 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games with a +16 rating. In their postseason run back to the SHL, Eklund scored an additional two goals and seven points in 18 contests, besting AIK in the SHL Qualifier Final in five games.

He’s shown first-rate talent on the international stage, particularly over the last two years. Suiting up for Sweden’s U18 and U20 teams, Eklund has scored six goals and 12 points in 14 games during his age-appropriate appearances in the IIHF World Junior Championships. Additionally, he’s tallied 16 goals and 38 points in 40 international contests (including his WJC appearances).

It’ll be an important developmental year for the recent first-round selection. Eklund will have the opportunity to play in one of the better international leagues outside of the NHL, which should legitimize his offensive capabilities should he continue his developmental arc. Being a team starved for offense, Eklund may have a one-and-done year in the SHL should he flourish.

Notable 2025 Draft Eligible Players In 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase

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The 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off a few days ago in Plymouth, MI as players look to crack the lineup for their respective national team for the 2024-25 IIHF World Junior Championships. The defending champions, the United States, will look to defend their gold medal from a year ago and will be joined by Canada, Finland, and Sweden.

A majority of players on each team’s roster have already been selected by teams in the NHL Draft but there are a few notable players who are preparing to hear their names called in the 2025 NHL Draft. Here are a few of those players:

James Hagens, Boston College (NCAA), United States

Hagens is the current betting favorite to hear his name called for the first overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. The young star will be joining the Boston College Eagles next year in the NCAA after an electric performance with the U.S. National U18 Team by scoring 39 goals and 102 points in 58 games. As one of the most dominant players in his age group, and with future teammates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault joining him at the top of Team USA’s forward core — Hagens should give the United States a lot of confidence to repeat as champions.

Porter Martone, Brampton Steelheads (OHL), Canada

Projected to fall in the top three of the 2025 NHL Draft, Martone should be a standout player for Team Canada during the showcase. Martone recently wrapped his second season with the Steelheads (formerly of Mississauga) and scored 33 goals and 71 points in 60 games. The young winger was also a force to be reckoned with last year on the international stage as he scored five goals and 17 points in only seven games while captaining Canada’s U18 team.

Victor Eklund, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan), Sweden

Eklund is projected to fall toward the back half of the first round in 2025 but has every opportunity to push his name up the board. He’s undersized at 5’11” but plays with such intensity that his game should translate nicely against North American players. Eklund split time between Djurgårdens IF and Djurgårdens IF J20 last season where he scored four points in 15 games for the former, and 25 points in 30 games for the latter.

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