Victor Eklund

June 2025 – Selected 16th overall, Victor Eklund is now a member of the New York Islanders. Mark Henry

Final Rankings – Victor Eklund is your stereotypical “does whatever it takes to win” player. Despite his lack of stature, his physicality and his ability to handle opponents’ physicality is arguably his best asset. Combine those two qualities with passion and explosiveness and you’ve got a player that every coach would love to have in their lineup. Eklund doesn’t resist pressure, he pushes through it, powering along the boards before driving inside for a scoring opportunity. His playmaking ability shines from behind the net where he regularly slips passes through pressure to the crease and low slot. He creates space to pull off these plays by leveraging his smaller frame to shield defenders from the puck. Eklund also boasts a shot that deceives goaltenders by how quickly he releases it. He’s shifty and evasive which allows him to carry pucks in transition and be extremely effective on the rush, as well as hard to contain in tight spaces. Eklund’s pace of play and intensity builds the foundation of a strong energy winger, but it’s his intelligence, creativity, and skill that may allow him to develop into a complimentary top six scorer with an edge. The beast is only going to get stronger.—Ethan Lindley

January 2025 – Eklund is putting up one of the best statistical seasons for a first time draft eligible player in HockeyAllsvenskan since Elias Petersson. Playing for a Djurgardens program with tons of draft eligible talent this season, it’s been Eklund who’s earned the club’s trust with consistent minutes with the men’s club. Eklund’s pace of play is advanced for his age as he moves quickly and very decisive. He can absolutely rip a puck and score from short and medium ranges in addition to being a skilled playmaker. Like his brother, William, Victor is undersized, but he’s just as dynamic as the elder Eklund, maybe even more. The size will always be a concern, but his brother put it together at the NHL level and Victor has had no issues playing against men so far in his career. If all goes well with Eklund, he has top line potential as a high-octane point producing winger. Jordan Harris