William Eklund isn’t likely to forget being at a recent Pitbull concert in Stockholm, and it has nothing to do with the music.
While at the concert Tuesday night, the 23-year-old Swedish forward got a call from San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier informing him he had just been traded to the Ottawa Senators.
Caught off guard, Eklund left the concert and called his parents to share the news.
“Obviously, when you’re traded you get pretty shocked,” said Eklund while speaking to Ottawa media on a Zoom call Friday morning. “But you know it quickly turned into pretty excited. I was actually at the Pitbull concert when I got the call, so you know I was just right away really excited for the future.”
As part of the deal, the Senators also received forward Kasper Haltunnen and the rights to forward Brandon Svoboda from the Sharks for the ninth pick in the 2026 NHL draft, which Ottawa had acquired Sunday from the Florida Panthers in the trade for former captain Brady Tkachuk.
The Senators also shored up their blue line Friday, signing pending restricted free agent Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20-million contract.
Spence, 25, had career highs of seven goals and 31 points in 73 games last season while averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time as Ottawa battled injuries on defence and returned to the playoffs.
Ottawa also acquired veteran forward Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick and the rights to pending restricted free agent goaltender Samuel Ersson from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Eklund, who just completed his third full NHL season, had 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games with the Sharks. Drafted seventh overall by San Jose in 2021, Eklund has 50 goals and 113 assists in 252 career games.
Entering the first of a three-year $16.8 million contract, with an annual average value of $5.6 million, also made Eklund financially attractive for the Senators.
Whether it's fair or not, Eklund will arrive in Ottawa facing the inevitable comparisons to Tkachuk and the pressure that comes with being part of the blockbuster deal.
Eklund is excited for the challenge and feels he can contribute to the Senators success.
“I would say I'm a two-way guy playing good with the puck and without the puck, but also bring a lot of energy and effort every night,” he said. “I like to stick up for my teammates and always be there for them and I can always give my 100 per cent every night, and that’s what I’m gonna do every night.”
Playing under the Canadian spotlight will be different to playing in California, but Eklund is looking forward to the opportunity.
“You know, obviously, I think hockey in Ottawa is a little bigger than it is in north Cal, if you can say that,” Eklund said. “Canada is big in that sport and it’s pretty cool to play in that place, because I heard great things about it, and great things about the fans. So, that’s probably a little different from there.”
The Senators have been looking for a top-six forward who can play alongside centre Tim Stutzle, and it’s likely Eklund will be given an opportunity.
“Obviously, (Stutzle is) a great player, he’s been a great player in this league for a while now so, you know, if you get that opportunity you just do the best you can of it,” said Eklund. “Obviously, he’s been doing really good things for this organization in this league for a while, so whoever I play with it’s going to be a fun journey.”
The trade reunites Eklund with best friend Fabian Zetterlund. The two developed a close bond as teammates in San Jose and are excited to reconnect.
In a conversation with the Senators, Zetterlund spoke of Eklund’s abilities on the ice and how he’ll be able to contribute, but also spoke of his character off the ice.
“He’s going to bring a lot to this team,” Zetterlund said. “Especially in the locker room. He’s a guy that likes to hang out and take care of everyone else so he’s going to be a great piece.”
In 2021 Eklund was presented with the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, which is presented to the draft prospect as selected by NHL Central Scouting who best exemplifies "commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism."
Eklund will remain in Sweden for most of the summer and plans to arrive in Ottawa in late August.
