sports
Ottawa Senators acquire William Eklund from San Jose Sharks for No. 9 draft pick
The Ottawa Senators received left winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the ninth selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. The trade occurred two days after Ottawa sent captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
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The Ottawa Senators obtained left winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday for the ninth selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. The deal also included prospect winger Kasper Halttunen and the rights to prospect forward Brandon Svoboda moving to Ottawa. Ottawa had acquired the No. 9 pick two days earlier in its trade of captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
Background on the Tkachuk trade That earlier transaction sent a pair of 2026 first-round picks, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2030 second-round pick to Florida. Tkachuk averaged 0.81 points per game during his career with the Senators and 0.98 points in 60 games during the 2025-26 season.
Eklund selected seventh overall by San Jose in 2021, recorded 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games for the Sharks in 2025-26. He is under contract for three more seasons at $5.6 million per year, with the Senators gaining one additional year of team control before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2030-31.
PuckPedia projects Ottawa now has $19.583 million in salary cap space available for other moves. The Sharks, who finished second in the NHL draft lottery, now hold three first-round picks in the 2026 draft, including two selections in the top 10.
