The San Jose Sharks selected forward William Eklund with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
William Eklund
Position: Left wing
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 176 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Djurgarden (SHL)
Nationality: Swedish
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 11 | 12 | 23 |
(Stats source: EliteProspects.com)
Eklund was arguably the top prospect from outside North America in this draft, as NHL Central Scouting slotted him No. 1 among European skaters in its final rankings.
That distinction was warranted, given how well Eklund played in one of the world's best professional leagues at just 18 years old. The promising winger did so despite testing positive for COVID-19 - which forced him to miss the world juniors - and undergoing an appendectomy.
He's also proven himself on big stages. Eklund collected a goal and an assist in three playoff contests for Djurgarden this season, and he contributed internationally at the under-18 level as well. The phenom produced five points in as many games for Sweden at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2019-20.
At the club level, he split last season between Djurgarden's junior and senior teams, amassing 12 goals and 24 assists over 31 games for the former squad.
Earlier this month, the NHL named him the winner of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence in recognition of his character, competitiveness, and athleticism.
What they're saying
"Eklund skates fast, but it’s his skating plus his compete that earned the trust of big minutes as he showed he could be responsible off the puck," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "He combines that with a high skill level, a very imaginative hockey IQ offensively, and the ability to execute difficult plays at speed.
"His ability to play in the high-traffic areas and win battles, but also play on the perimeter and be a primary set-up guy, will make him a versatile NHL player," added Pronman, who projected Eklund as a first-line winger.
"Of all the top Swedish prospects, it was Eklund who maintained a regular shift in the SHL with consistent production from start to finish," Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino wrote.
"Eklund is a well-rounded three-zone player who can do a little bit of everything offensively ... and defensively," wrote The Athletic's Scott Wheeler.
"He makes a lot of small-area plays around the net to attack the slot or play a puck into it, with proper timing, for a teammate," Wheeler added. "He’s just a crafty problem-solver who knows his game and how to play within himself to make something happen from shift to shift."
