Senators Targeted Sharks’ Eklund As Tkachuk Replacement

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier met with reporters on Wednesday following the trade of William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators.

The Sharks GM discussed acquiring the 9th-overall pick in Friday’s 2026 NHL Draft and how the trade came together. Grier told reporters that the deal came together quickly following the Senators’ trade with the Florida Panthers involving Brady Tkachuk.

“Yeah, it came together fairly quickly. Eky wasn’t someone I was looking to move or move on from. [Steve Staios] got put in a tough situation in Ottawa and I thought he did a good job of navigating it,” Grier explained. “Once that happened, he was looking for a good player to fill a top-six role for his team. We had some discussion, and it came together quickly. I think it is a good opportunity for Eky and for us to add another top-ten pick.”

Eklund will join the Senators in the first year of a three-year contract with a $5.6 million AAV. He is also reunited with one of his best friends and former San Jose Sharks forward Fabian Zetterlund.

The Senators opted to trade their captain on Sunday, which left a hole in their top-six forwards. Eklund, 23, is an established NHL forward with more offensive potential than he’s already shown through three full NHL seasons. A healthy off-season and a change of scenery to a Stanley Cup Playoff team could unlock more than what the Sharks got out of the former 7th-overall pick.

As for the San Jose Sharks, Grier is happy to make the 9th-overall pick on a player who can help. But like the No. 2 pick, he’s open to trading it.

“We’ll be more than happy to pick there at No. 9 and get a really good player there to add to our group,” Grier said. “But if there’s a player that fits the age range and is a good player, that we like, and could potentially bring in to help us now, we would look at it. It definitely gives us a little bit of flexibility there.”

Eklund being traded isn’t the first or last major NHL trade this summer. Grier gave his thoughts on why the trade market seems to be hotter this summer compared to years past. The Sharks GM does admit that trade prices are high.

“There’s a lot of movement. The cap’s going up, teams have money to spend, for the most part, for the first time in a while.
On top of that, I think the free agent class this year might not excite a lot of people,” Grier said. “I think that’s leading to a lot of trades and people being open to try and improve their teams in different ways. There are some good players out there, but prices are high for sure.”

The NHL Draft will begin at 4 p.m. PT on Friday at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Sharks Hockey Digest will be in attendance for all the coverage you need.