When the New York Islanders inked Kashawn Aitcheson to his entry-level contract last week, it completed a trifecta of 2025 first-round picks now under contract. Aitcheson, alongside Schaefer, who's turning heads in the NHL at just 18, and Victor Eklund, who signed his entry-level contract back in July, are all set to make their mark.
Victor Eklund, the 16th overall pick in last summer's draft, spent the season honing his skills with Djurgardens in the SHL. This Stockholm-based squad, freshly promoted to the SHL, made it to the playoffs with a lineup brimming with young NHL prospects. Despite their promising run, Djurgardens bowed out in the first round, leaving the Islanders and Eklund to plot the next chapter of his career.
Eklund is eager for his North American debut
Even though his playoff journey ended, Eklund isn't ready to hang up his skates just yet. He's set on making his North American debut sooner rather than later.
“My plan is that I’d like to go over this season, of course, and try playing in the AHL or wherever it ends up,” Eklund shared with Mattias Ek of Hockeynews.se. “We’ll just have to see if they reach out.
But yeah, it would be fun. I want to play hockey, and if the Islanders or Bridgeport wanted me over, that would be really fun.”
It's not common for European players to make the leap to North America right after their season wraps up. However, with Bridgeport eyeing a playoff spot in their final season in the city, there’s a possibility that Mathieu Darche might want to add some excitement to the AHL roster by bringing Eklund over to join forces with Cole Eiserman for the stretch run.