Victor Eklund is one of the names worth watching as the Islanders sort out their opening-night picture for 2026-27.
New York needs to get younger and a little more skilled to stay in step with a crowded Eastern Conference, and one way to start doing that is by bringing in one of its first-round picks from the 2025 draft. Matthew Schaefer is the headliner from that class, a player with the kind of upside that can dominate the conversation. But Eklund’s path to North America deserves attention, too.
The 19-year-old winger spent his first season in the Swedish Hockey League in 2025-26 and put up six goals and 18 assists for Djurgårdens IF. For a first crack at Sweden’s top league, he held his own. The scoring line may not jump off the page, but it still showed why the Islanders spent a middle first-round pick on him.
His game translated even better once he got to Bridgeport late in the year. Eklund posted 10 points in nine games there, then picked up an assist in his only game with the Islanders during a one-game tryout designed to give the club a regular-season look before it has to make a call on him for 2026-27.
What stands out is how comfortable he looked against older, more experienced competition. He has long been an offensive driver in his age group, and he carried that into the AHL. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does suggest he won’t be bothered by the pace or the physical side of North American hockey.
That flexibility matters because Eklund doesn’t need to land in a top-six role to help. The Islanders could ease him in on the third line and let him learn on the fly, the way Schaefer did last season, rather than waiting until he’s fully polished for a scoring line.
There’s also the safer route: send him to Hamilton and let him develop on the AHL’s first line. That would not be any more damaging than starting him on the third line in the NHL. Still, for a team that wants more youth in the lineup, the appeal of giving Eklund a real shot is obvious.
The risk is simple enough. New York can protect him from an NHL start that goes sideways, then the reset of a demotion. But if the Islanders are in the playoff mix without being a true Stanley Cup threat, it may make sense to let Eklund have a full run at being an NHL regular right away.
In Other News...
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The Rookie Showcase wrapped up with the kind of edge both teams hoped to see, giving the Islanders one last chance to evaluate young players before training camp opens. For New Jersey, defenseman Seamus Casey stood out with his poise and positioning, while goalie Jakub Malek came up with key stops when the game turned into a skills test, the sort of moment that can matter as much as any regular-season rehearsal.
For the Islanders, the larger takeaway was less about the final result than the sorting that still has to be done. This event is built to help prospects make their case for camp spots, and a close, competitive finish only sharpened the evaluation process. Some of the names on the ice helped their stock, but the real question now is which players did enough to carry that momentum into the next stage. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Face A Wing Battle That Could Define Their Direction
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For management, the question is bigger than just who earns a spot in September. Pete DeBoer and Mathieu Darche will have to decide whether this team is best served by leaning on experience and trying to stay in the playoff hunt, or by giving the prospects real runway and accepting the growing pains that come with it. However that balance comes down, the wing spots could tell the story of where the Islanders believe they are going next. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Horvats New Role Signals A Bigger Islanders Identity Shift
Bo Horvat has officially been handed the spotlight as the 16th captain in Islanders history, a move that says plenty about where the organization wants its identity to go as it gets ready for the 2026-27 season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. For a team that has long leaned on structure, responsibility and veteran steadiness, naming Horvat to the role gives that mission a clearer face and a more defined voice.
Head coach Peter DeBoer also made clear this is not being handled as a one-man job, with Ryan Pulock and Kyle Palmieri set to support the group in the same way they have before. The leadership structure is expected to be broad, with familiar names such as Mat Barzal, Adam Pelech and Matthew Schaefer part of the mix, which leaves the Islanders with an interesting blend of established core pieces and new voices as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]