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Sharks Trade Eklund, Halttunen to Senators for No. 9 Pick

6/24/2026

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Summary

Sharks Trade

The San Jose Sharks traded William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators for the ninth overall pick.
The trade leaves San Jose with first-round selections at No. 2, No. 9 and No. 27.
Eklund, 23, is under a three-year, $5.6 million AAV contract and posted 53 points this season.
General manager Mike Grier said the club is targeting Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna with the No. 2 pick.

Summary

Senators Acquire Eklund

Ottawa Senators acquired William Eklund, a two-way top-six left winger to fill the scoring void after former captain Brady Tkachuk.
The deal gives Ottawa $19.583 million in cap space for free agency opening next Wednesday.
Eklund is signed through 2028-29 at $5.6 million AAV and will be a restricted free agent in July 2029.
Ottawa retains one more year of team control before he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2030-31.

History

Historical Context

In the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected defenseman Bryan Berard 11th overall, a first-round pick. The club has echoed that strategy by acquiring forward William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks, exchanging prospects for a high-value asset and underscoring the franchise’s reliance on early-round talent to reshape its roster.

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Sharks Trade

The San Jose Sharks traded William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators for the ninth overall pick.
The trade leaves San Jose with first-round selections at No. 2, No. 9 and No. 27.
Eklund, 23, is under a three-year, $5.6 million AAV contract and posted 53 points this season.
General manager Mike Grier said the club is targeting Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna with the No. 2 pick.

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