- Eklund says the standard in Ottawa is a deep playoff run, not just getting in
- He was at a Pitbull concert when Sharks GM Mike Grier called with the trade
- Read below for what he said about reuniting with Fabian Zetterlund and learning from Daniel Alfredsson
William Eklund isn’t coming to Ottawa just to make the playoffs.
The 23-year-old winger, traded from San Jose earlier this summer, told Hockeysverige that the Senators are chasing a lot more than a first-round exit.
Eklund was asked what changes most about playing for a contender instead of a rebuild.
“The expectation is to make a deep playoff run. That’s the biggest difference. In Ottawa, the standard is to be in the playoffs every year, and getting there isn’t enough. We want to go much further.”
The trade caught him off guard. Literally. Eklund said Grier’s name popped up on his phone in the middle of a concert.
“I was actually at a Pitbull concert when I saw (Mike Grier) calling. I didn’t know exactly what it was about, but I had a feeling something might be happening. At first, you’re just shocked. But once I heard it was Ottawa, I got excited immediately.”
A big reason for that excitement is a familiar face. Fabian Zetterlund, Eklund’s close friend and old San Jose linemate, landed in Ottawa earlier in the offseason too.
“I called him pretty much right away, and he was excited too. We’re really close friends. Honestly, I never thought we’d end up playing together again.”
Eklund also gets to work with a Swedish legend. Daniel Alfredsson, now an assistant in Ottawa, is a name that carries plenty of weight back home.
“He’s a Swedish legend and a hockey icon in Ottawa. I know I can learn a lot from him, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
Four seasons in San Jose didn’t bring much winning, but the former seventh-overall pick left with plenty. He pointed to his NHL debut, his first career hat trick, and a goal in Boston as the memories that stuck.
Take a look back at some of his best work in a Sharks sweater:
Eklund put up 163 points in 252 games with the Sharks and carries a $5.6 million cap hit through 2028-29. He gives the Senators a two-way winger who can drive a line, exactly the kind of profile Ottawa needed on the left side.
He isn’t shy about the bigger goal either. Asked whether a Canadian team can finally end the country’s long Stanley Cup drought, Eklund didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. Hopefully it’s Ottawa.”
