Senators Acquire William Eklund From Sharks in Trade

The Ottawa Senators landed William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks on Monday, flipping the No. 9 overall pick they got in Sunday’s Brady Tkachuk trade with Florida.

Chris Johnston of The Athletic first reported the deal:

Sources confirm that Ottawa is acquiring William Eklund from San Jose.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 23, 2026

Along with Eklund, the Senators picked up forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to unsigned draft pick Brandon Svoboda. San Jose got the ninth overall selection, giving the Sharks three first-round picks in Friday’s draft: No. 2, No. 9, and No. 27.

Eklund, 23, put up 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games for the Sharks last season. Over 252 career NHL games, the Swede has 50 goals and 163 points since going seventh overall to San Jose in 2021.

His $5.6 million cap hit runs through 2028-29, locking Ottawa into a young top-six forward without any contract negotiations.

The Senators held that ninth pick for roughly 48 hours. They got it from the Panthers as part of the Tkachuk blockbuster on Sunday, and GM Steve Staios immediately put it to work.

Check out JFresh’s breakdown of the deal:

William Eklund, acquired by OTT, is a two-way playmaking winger who uses his intelligence, puck skills, and motor to complement his linemates (and compensate for lack of size and wheels). Goals haven't come at 5v5 but he's shown some scoring upside on the PP. pic.twitter.com/WmouCRM3i8

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 23, 2026

San Jose, meanwhile, keeps stacking draft capital. The Sharks already owned the No. 2 pick and now add the ninth and 27th selections. Paired with Macklin Celebrini anchoring the rebuild, GM Mike Grier is building a war chest of young talent and premium picks.

Losing Eklund stings from a pure talent standpoint, but moving him while his value was high and the Sharks are still years away from contending is a textbook rebuild play.

Ottawa gets a 23-year-old forward who can produce in the top six on a reasonable deal. After moving Tkachuk, the Senators needed to reinvest, and Eklund fills a scoring hole while the picks and prospects add depth to a roster trying to take the next step in the Eastern Conference.