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No. 3 William Eklund: 20 – 30 goal scorer?

Fear the Fin and San Jose Sharks fans have talked about William Eklund so much over the past few years that it’s hard to believe that the forward is just 21 years old (he’ll be 22 on Oct. 12). Despite his age, Eklund continues to take strides in his development. So much so that he moves down just one spot in our Top 25 Under 25 list, sliding down to third.

Position: Left Wing
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 181 lbs.
Age: 21
Date of Birth: October 12, 2002
Draft Year: 2021, 7th overall by the San Jose Sharks
Shoots: Left
2024-25 Team: San Jose Sharks

Even though it was his “rookie” season, Eklund was one of the best players for the Sharks in the 2023-24 season. Not only did he play 80 of 82 games for the Sharks, but he scored 45 points, including 16 goals.

At times, Eklund was the brightest spot in the Sharks’ dismal season. His infectious smile and his flashes of brilliance on the ice marked the start of something new for San Jose. He was the flag bearer for a new era of hockey in San Jose.

What we like

“He is a dynamic skater and playmaker who can make a lot of highly creative plays in motion. He has great small-area skills and despite his size, he can create offense at the net,” wrote The Athletic’s Corey Pronman in his prospect power rankings.

Eklund is always thinking, which was frustrating at times last season. Not because of Eklund’s play, but because you could tell that he didn’t always have the players around him with the skill level or hockey IQ to complete the plays he was creating. While linemates Fabian Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund complimented Eklund’s play, injuries and line juggling didn’t always make that a possibility last season and sometimes the results were less than stellar.

Fans will see a lot more of Eklund’s skill this season. Eklund will play with Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli to start.

Areas of improvement

Rookie seasons tend to come with ups and downs, even if you’re not considered a true NHL rookie, as was the case with Eklund. We’d like to see Eklund be more steady with his play this season, with fewer highs and lows. There were strings of four to five games last season where Eklund did not register a point. If he is going to be a top-six forward on a contending team, those pointless games need to be fewer and farther between.

Confidence will also be a key this season and help him maintain that consistency that we’d like to see. He’s young and still learning. That youth makes it easy for a player who has, to date, had success at every level, get down on himself. It will be up to the coaching staff and the veteran presence in the room to help keep Eklund’s confidence up if he does dip into a string of games without a point.

What’s next for Eklund?

Unlike last season, there is no question that Eklund will play for the Sharks this season. He will be in the lineup on opening night.

What’s more, he appears to be locked into the top line to start the season, where he will play alongside Celebrini and Toffoli. With the line combination of Celebrini, Eklund and Toffoli, look for Eklund to surpass the 20-goal mark this season and potentially flirt with 30. Having an elite and skilled player like Celebrini passing you the puck night in and night out will do that for you.

Highlight

There only needs to be one highlight to sum up what Eklund brings to the Sharks, and that’s his hat trick on April 6.

And then, him walking us through the goal because that hat and that grin are … *chef’s kiss*.

Top 25 Under 25 so far

4. Yaroslav Askarov
5. Quentin Musty
6. Sam Dickinson
7. Shakir Mukhamadullin
8. Filip Bystedt
9. Thomas Bordeleau
10. Henry Thrun
11. Kasper Halttunen
12. Igor Chernyshov
13. Luca Cagnoni
14. Danil Gushchin
15. Leo Sahlin Wallenius
16. Collin Graf
17. Jack Thompson
18. Ethan Cardwell
19. Cameron Lund
20. Eric Pohlkamp
21. Ty Dellandrea
22. Mattias Havelid
23. Jake Furlong
24. Georgi Romanov
25. Tristen Robins
Honorable Mention: Brandon Svoboda, Gannon Laroque, Brandon Coe, Carson Wetsch and Valtteri Pulli

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