The Senators Still Have Work To Do This Summer
Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios has publicly stated that he has no intention of letting the team take a step back this summer. A few weeks into the summer, he has chipped away at that notion but has yet to fully build a better lineup. Ottawa is currently a weaker team on paper than they were when it exited the ice after a first-round sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s possible that Staios goes on a heater and nets the team a few pieces to add to the NHL lineup, making this summer a success, but at the moment, things don’t look rosy.
The Brady Tkachuk hole in the Senators’ lineup is very difficult to ignore right now. You can’t simply replace his presence, emotion, or production. Tkachuk was a tone-setter for the Senators, their most difficult player to play against, and perhaps the only difficult part of playing in Ottawa, other than the commute to the Canadian Tire Centre. Ottawa did receive solid compensation for the 27-year-old in the form of four draft picks, three of which were first-rounders, but the Senators have not adequately replaced his departure.
The addition of William Eklund is a nice start, but he didn’t come cheap and won’t fill in for much of what Tkachuk brought to the table. It’s possible he has better hockey ahead of him than Tkachuk, when you factor in age and the regression that will surely start sooner for Tkachuk than for Eklund. You could also make a case that Eklund is a more complete player than Tkachuk, and some analytics support that (goals above replacement in the last two seasons, for one). Eklund is probably the better defensive player of the two and is much more of a play driver than Tkachuk, who relies more on brute force and battle to get his work done.
On top of Eklund, the remaining draft picks are also solid long-term additions, but they won’t give Ottawa a boost next season unless they are flipped in the interim for significant NHL talent. That’s where Ottawa will struggle, as they are constrained by the salary cap and probably can’t add another top-six forward, which they need. That player would slide into an offensive role, a leadership role, and perhaps a special-teams role. There is a lot of Tkachuk that hasn’t been replaced, and it’s a significant challenge to replace it piecemeal.
A problem for Ottawa, or perhaps the problem, is that they entered this offseason needing to add depth to their top six, and even with the addition of Eklund, they’re effectively back at square one. It’s unlikely that Ottawa will add to their top two lines this offseason unless they send money out the door at the same time.
There is also the question of what to do with Drake Batherson, who is eligible for an extension and is less than a year away from unrestricted free agency. Batherson has been a terrific offensive producer for the Senators, but given his body of work, it’s not crazy to think he could be a $9MM player going forward. Is that a number Ottawa is comfortable paying for an offensive player who doesn’t necessarily pay attention to the finer details away from the puck? It’s a question that will be answered in time, but even if Ottawa is leaning towards moving him, they simply don’t have the leverage right now because they’ve already had to move Tkachuk, and losing two scoring wingers would be trouble for a team, especially when Batherson just had a career year.
One positive for Ottawa is that they brought back veteran Claude Giroux, who should provide leadership, stability, and, most importantly, depth for the Senators. The delicate balance of the Senators’ forward group means that one or two injuries could expose a massive problem with the team’s depth up front. Ottawa isn’t exactly rich with forward prospects, but they wisely tapped into the forward free agency market and signed some tweeners who should be good AHL players and decent call-ups if the Senators find themselves in injury trouble. Philip Tomasino and Sammy Blais are the likely players to get those call-ups, and while they aren’t exactly impact players at this stage of their careers, they can provide reasonable NHL minutes for a low cost. Tomasino has shown glimpses in the past of being on the verge of a breakout, but he has never been able to put it together on a long-term basis.
Overall, the Senators haven’t taken a major step back this summer, but they haven’t exactly improved either, which, in a way, is admirable given that they had to move on from their captain earlier than they’d hoped. At the same time, Ottawa can ill afford to sit around and hope that internal improvements will lead to them taking their next steps. Ottawa has some good young players, but make no mistake, the time to compete for Stanley Cups is now, and the Senators don’t feel like a club that is ready to do that. Some folks might look at their lineup and the salary structure and say they have plenty of runway to win a cup in this competitive window. However, these are the Ottawa Senators, and they do have a history of losing star players earlier than they’d like, so there are no guarantees that everybody sticks around to see their whole run through.
Sharks Notes: Draft Selections, Byram, Eklund
Speaking with the media earlier today, General Manager of the San Jose Sharks, Mike Grier, had plenty to say about the organization’s pair of top-10 selections for the 2026 NHL Draft. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, San Jose is still getting a ton of interest in the second overall pick and has at least one legitimate trade offer that the team is considering.
Furthermore, after acquiring the ninth overall pick from the Ottawa Senators yesterday, interest has increased for the Sharks to possibly trade one or both of those selections. Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News shared a quote from Grier, saying, “I think teams are curious as to what our plan was to do with nine, so we had a few teams reach out and express some interest in it, and what we’d be looking for.“
Despite the increased interest in their draft picks, it would be wise for the Sharks to keep their selections unless they receive an outstanding offer. By moving on from William Eklund yesterday, San Jose has opened up a spot in the top six for either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, and can still land a quality defensive prospect with the ninth overall selection. Still, Grier has made it clear that he’s willing to be bold to improve the organization, so it’s anyone’s guess what the Sharks will ultimately do.
Additional Sharks notes:
- Speaking of being bold, Grier also told the media that the Sharks were one of the teams interested in acquiring Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. Ultimately, Buffalo chose to send Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for a package including the fourth-overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft and defenseman Louis Crevier. Grier didn’t allude to what San Jose was willing to offer, but Pashelka reported that the Sharks’ interest in acquiring Byram dated back to last season.
- Lastly, of note, Grier shared with Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest that the team wasn’t actively shopping Eklund. That means the Senators were the first team to make contact regarding his availability, and San Jose targeted the ninth overall pick as their return. Even dating back to the 2024-25 season, Eklund was viewed as a long-term building block for the Sharks, and Grier rewarded him with a three-year, $16.8MM extension. Still, with the emergence of younger players with higher ceilings, Eklund became a piece that the Sharks were willing to part with for the right price.
Ottawa Senators Acquire William Eklund
The Ottawa Senators didn’t wait long to find their replacement for Brady Tkachuk. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Senators are working on a trade for William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks. A few moments later, the Sharks confirmed the deal, announcing that they have acquired Florida’s 2026 first-round pick (ninth overall) from the Senators for Eklund, prospect forward Kasper Halttunen, and prospect forward Brandon Svoboda.
Although he’s remained a productive forward for the Sharks, Eklund’s role on the roster has been put in doubt with the influx of young forward talent to the Sharks’ roster in recent years. Once considered to be a prominent building block in San Jose, Eklund will now embrace a new environment in Canada.
He may not have the same intangibles as Tkachuk, but Eklund is the offensive-minded left winger that the Senators coveted. Throughout the past three seasons in San Jose, Eklund has registered 48 goals and 156 points in 235 games, averaging 18:55 of ice time per game. Oh, and he’s only 23 years old.
Additionally, he’s signed at a more-than-manageable cap hit. Thanks to an extension last summer, Ottawa now has Eklund on the books through the 2028-29 season at a $5.6MM cap hit. Heading into the draft and free agency, the Senators now have Tkachuk’s replacement with approximately $20MM left to work with.
Despite being a natural fit with the Senators, Eklund will reunite with his old linemate, Fabian Zetterlund, too. Although it can take time for younger players to adapt to new teams, having an old friend in Zetterlund will make the transition all the easier for Eklund.
Meanwhile, the Senators have also acquired an additional pair of forward prospects in the swap, adding to their organizational depth. Halttunen, drafted with the 36th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, is coming off his first full professional season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Being only 21 years old, he had a solid rookie campaign, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 69 games with a -6 rating.
Ottawa also added Svoboda, 21, who was drafted with the 71st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. Technically, the Senators only acquired his signing rights, since Svoboda remains on the roster for the Boston University Terriers. He recently completed his sophomore campaign in which he scored six goals and 15 points in 35 games.
From San Jose’s perspective, the math was easy. Earlier today, Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest reported that five teams were seriously interested in acquiring the second overall pick from the Sharks, and the team had a few legitimate offers to sift through. Over the past few weeks, there has been plenty of speculation on whether the Sharks will select Ivar Stenberg with the second overall pick, a highly-touted defenseman, or trade the pick entirely.
Instead, General Manager Mike Grier determined: Why not both? Now having moved on from Eklund, San Jose has opened up a roster spot for Stenberg (or Gavin McKenna) for next season, and now has the ninth overall pick to add a defenseman. It’s unlikely that the Sharks will have access to the upper echelon of defensive prospects available, such as Chase Reid, Albert Smits, Carson Carels, or Keaton Verhoeff, but they could certainly use the ninth overall to bring in Daxon Rudolph or Ryan Lin, each of whom has high-upside talent.
Photo courtesy of David Gonzales of Imagn Images.
Sharks Activate William Eklund From IR, Reassign Ethan Cardwell
3:04 p.m.: The Sharks have indeed reassigned Cardwell to AHL San Jose to make room for Eklund’s activation, according to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Cardwell scored once and averaged 12:21 per game during his four-game call-up.
12:28 p.m.: Sharks winger William Eklund will be in the lineup against the Wild tonight, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. He will need to come off injured reserve. They don’t have an open roster spot and will need to make a corresponding transaction. Since no injuries are lingering on their active roster, that will likely be an AHL demotion – presumably for the waiver-exempt Ethan Cardwell, who projects to exit the lineup with Eklund returning.
Eklund’s IR stint was brief. He only landed there on Saturday to create a roster spot for Ryan Reaves‘ activation. He’s missed the last four games after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Avalanche on Nov. 1. During that stretch, the streaking Sharks went 3-0-1 without the services of their third-leading scorer.
One of the first high-end picks in San Jose’s rebuild, the 23-year-old Eklund is in the early stages of his third season as a full-time NHLer. He’s rattled off five goals and six assists for 11 points through 12 games, on pace to breach the 70-point plateau for the first time if he stays healthy the rest of the way. He’s done so without seeing much ice time next to Macklin Celebrini at even strength, instead serving as the top scoring piece on the Sharks’ second line with Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg.
Collin Graf got the bump in minutes alongside Wennberg while Eklund was sidelined, and the young adept penalty killer managed two assists in four games during the elevation. He should be ticketed for a return to third-line duties next to Ty Dellandrea as San Jose attempts to extend its win streak to four and its point streak to seven. The Sharks haven’t strung together four wins in over four years, last doing so in October 2021.
Sharks Activate Ryan Reaves, Place William Eklund On IR
The San Jose Sharks have placed top winger William Eklund on injured reserve, retroactive to his last game on November 1st, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Eklund will be forced to miss Saturday’s matchup against the Florida Panthers, but he could be activated before the team’s next game on Tuesday.
This move opens the roster space needed to activate Ryan Reaves off of IR without having to reassign Zack Ostapchuk. Reaves has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury sustained on October 28th. He returned to the lineup on Saturday.
Reaves has continued his role of fourth-line enforcer through his 16th year in the NHL. He has two goals and two fights, while averaging fewer than seven minutes a night, through 11 games this season. He has been a welcome veteran presence to a young Sharks squad, but also stands as a barrier to the lineup for many top prospects.
Reaves is the fifth-oldest player in the NHL this season. His lack of career scoring glares around company like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby at the top of the NHL’s age chart. Despite that, Reaves expressed interest in continuing his career through his age-40 season on the latest Spittin’ Chiclets episode. One more year would give Reaves a chance to reach 1,000 games – a mark that would be particularly impressive for the pure enforcer. He is currently 77 games away from the feat.
San Jose won’t let that pursuit interfere with Eklund’s return to the lineup once he’s back to full health. The 2021 seventh-overall pick has emerged as a fixture of the Sharks’ top line, and reached 41 assists and 58 points in his first season next to Macklin Celebrini last year. He scored 11 points in 12 games to start this season, before falling to injury. The Sharks offense has taken off while Eklund has been out, and could improve even further with his return. San Jose will have to decide who to scratch between Reaves and Ethan Cardwell when Eklund returns.
West Notes: Eklund, Giles, Fink, Stadium Series
San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund missed the team’s loss yesterday to the Detroit Red Wings with a lower-body injury, but the team is reportedly “hopeful” that Eklund will be fit to play as soon as Wednesday, per Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told the media that Eklund has been dealing with the injury for about a week, but the fact that it “got a little bit worse” is what necessitated his removal from the lineup.
The injury did not appear to slow Eklund down much, as he had an exceptional three-game stretch to finish the month of October, scoring three goals and five points. The 2021 seventh-overall pick ranks second on the Sharks in scoring so far this season, behind only second-year sensation and emerging franchise face Macklin Celebrini. He scored a career-high 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games last season, and assuming he can stay healthy, should cruise past those totals if he can manage to sustain his early-season form.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The San Jose Sharks made a roster move today, sending forward Patrick Giles back to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. Giles, 25, was elevated to the Sharks’ NHL roster on Oct. 28 when veteran blueliner Nick Leddy was placed on injured reserve. He ultimately played in three games for the Sharks, registering his second career NHL point (and first career assist) on top prospect Sam Dickinson‘s game-tying goal late in the third period of yesterday’s game. The goal was also Dickinson’s first career NHL goal and first career point. Giles played in a fourth-line role across his three games, averaging under nine minutes of ice time per game.
- Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Guy Gadowsky announced today, per Penn State CommRadio’s Matt Becker, that star forward Aiden Fink has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out “foreseeable future.” Fink, 20, is a Nashville Predators prospect, selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft as Hall of Fame GM David Poile’s final draft pick in charge of the club. Fink was a finalist for the Hobey Baker award last season after he scored 53 points in just 40 games, leading Penn State to its most successful season in program history. He had scored nine points through nine games this season, but now sees his momentum stopped as he’ll need to recover from this upper-body injury before he can hit the ice again.
- The NHL announced today that the Dallas Stars will play in the 2027 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium on February 20, 2027. AT&T Stadium, located in Arlington, Texas, is the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and has a seating capacity of 80,000. The game marks the second outdoor game hosted by the Stars in their franchise history, the first being the 2020 Winter Classic, played against Nashville at the Cotton Bowl. Per the league’s announcement, the Stars’ opponent will be announced at a later date.
Sharks Shake Up Lineup With Wlliam Eklund Out, Timothy Liljegren Back
The San Jose Sharks will once again shake up their lineup in the hours ahead of gametime. Top winger William Eklund is out with a lower-body injury, while Timothy Liljegren wil lreturn from a short-term absence, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks will operate with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Sunday, with Ethan Cardwell stepping into the bottom-six for rookie Michael Misa.
Few players would be harder to lose than Eklund. He ranks second on the Sharks with five goals and 11 points through 12 games, only behind Macklin Celebrini (seven goals, 18 points). Eklund has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time through the early season, and played as much as 25:29 in a recent overtime win versus the Minnesota Wild. He’s returned as a core piece of the Sharks offense this season, after posting a career-year with 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games last season. His role in the lineup, and performance on the scoresheet, both continue to grow.
That will leave San Jose with an important decision as they reshape the lineup. Collin Graf should be the biggest beneficiary, moving into a top-six that also features Tyler Toffoli and Philipp Kurashev in heavy-use roles. Graf has only scored three points in 11 games this season, but his lack of offense could be offset by Kurashev, who has a dazzling seven points in his last four games.
Still, the need to replace Eklund’s offense makes the decision to scratch Msia all the more confusing. The reigning second-overall pick had a three-game point-streak between October 21st and October 26th, though hasn’t managed any scoring in his last two games. He has, however, offered up a 52.6 percent faceoff win-rate, third-highest among Sharks centers. Misa has experience at center, and on the wing, and could have been an interesting bet for top-six minutes in light of Eklund’s injury. Instead, San Jose will turn towards depth forward and grinder Cardwell, who has four points and 10 penalty minutes in seven AHL games. Cardwell was recalled on Sunday morning in a corresponding move to Ryan Reaves‘ placement on injured reserve.
The Sharks will find a silver lining in the return of Liljegren, who has served in a top-pair role for much of the season. Liljegren has only scored three points in nine games, but he and D-partner Dmitry Orlov have posted the best goal-differential of any Sharks pairing at even-strength. Getting him back into the fold after just one game out will be a major relief. Liljegren exited Saturday’s game in the first period, after a puck was deflected into the bunch and hit him in the face.
San Jose will return Liljegren to the lineup alongside rookie Sam Dickinson, who will play in his 10th game of the season. Dickinson hasn’t yet found his first NHL point through nine games. He should be rotated into favorable situations, while Liljegren steps back into an important role next to Orlov.
Sharks Notes: Ferraro, Eklund, Lund, Vlasic
Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro has been involved in trade speculation for a couple of years now and with him entering the final year of his contract and San Jose still rebuilding, that speculation should only intensify in the coming months. However, his preference appears to be to stick it out with the team that drafted him in the second round back in 2019. Speaking with reporters including Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest, the 27-year-old stated “I’d love to sign long-term here, I want to win here.” However, he also noted that no talks about an extension have started. Ferraro is set to carry a $3.25MM cap charge for the upcoming season and should be in line to land a long-term deal in the $5.5MM to $6MM range next summer if he makes it to the open market.
More from San Jose:
- Winger William Eklund suffered a wrist injury that required surgery in one of Sweden’s tune-up games for the Worlds last May, taking him out of the tournament. However, he told reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link) that he has fully recovered from the injury. Eklund inked a three-year, $16.8MM extension on the opening day of free agency, taking away any possible distraction of being in a contract year. He’ll look to build off the 17-goal, 58-point effort he had last season in his second full NHL campaign.
- Winger Cameron Lund suffered an upper-body injury at last week’s rookie tournament but it doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue. Head coach David Warsofsky told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link) that Lund is listed as day-to-day. The 21-year-old played in 11 games with San Jose down the stretch, picking up two goals and an assist in 11:30 per contest of playing time.
- Earlier this offseason, veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic voiced his displeasure about his buyout from San Jose, suggesting he was misled by the team at his exit interview. Asked to respond to that today, GM Mike Grier told reporters including Pashelka that he doesn’t have any regrets about how the situation was handled. While declining to get into a who-said-what discussion, Grier noted that Vlasic was indeed given a bit of a heads-up before the buyout was completed while his interpretation of the end-of-season meeting with the blueliner was that the possibility of him being let go from the final year of his contract was discussed. Vlasic is hoping to play this season but has yet to catch on with a team.
Injury Notes: Sharks, Power, Seguin
There was some concern for Sharks up-and-comer William Eklund‘s health over the summer after he sustained a wrist laceration while playing in a pre-tournament game for Sweden at the World Championship. He needed surgery, and while the skate cut didn’t damage any vital nerves, it did carry a lengthy three-month recovery window. During that time, he also inked a three-year, $16.8MM extension.
Since Eklund’s injury occurred in May, the expectation was that he’d be ready for training camp. That looks to be the case as he was on the ice for an informal skate Monday and was taking contact, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now relays. That’s great news ahead of what could be even more of a breakthrough season for Eklund. He turns 23 next month and carried a 17-41–58 scoring line through 77 appearances in his sophomore year in 2024-25, up from 45 points in 80 games as a rookie (with a horrifying -45 rating) the year prior.
With the 2021 No. 7 overall pick on the mend, another first-rounder in their system also skated after ending last season on injured reserve. Defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin was on the ice yesterday “without obvious limitation,” Peng wrote. The 23-year-old had shoulder surgery in the closing days of the regular season after logging nine points and a -7 rating in 30 regular-season appearances, a career-high. The 2020 first-rounder, previously acquired from the Devils, will be in a tight battle with fellow first-rounder Sam Dickinson and depth righty Jack Thompson for a roster spot in camp. He’ll need waivers to head to AHL San Jose, likely a matter of high concern to the Sharks’ front office.
Other injury updates as players begin to return to their team bases for training camp:
- Sabres defender Owen Power is fully healthy after rehabbing a lower-body injury that ended his 2024-25 season prematurely, telling the team’s Justin Alpert he’s “back to doing everything” and is “ready to go.” He said he’s looking forward to how the increased time in the gym over the summer due to his rehab affects his game as he heads into his fourth full NHL season. The 2021 top pick hit a career-high in points with 40 last year, but also saw career lows in plus/minus (-13) and time on ice (21:19 per game).
- After telling reporters following the Stars’ playoff elimination that he was dealing with a shoulder injury, Tyler Seguin is 100% after some “relatively easy” rehab, he tells Robert Tiffin of D Magazine. He told Tiffin the injury was caused by a hit from Oilers defender Darnell Nurse in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Seguin had 29 points in 38 combined regular-season and playoff games last year, losing most of his regular season to a significant hip procedure.
Sharks Sign William Eklund To Three-Year Extension
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.