When the Ottawa Senators moved on from their captain, Brady Tkachuk, they didn’t wait long to answer back. Their counter move brought in William Eklund, a player who doesn’t mirror Tkachuk’s style, but does bring something Ottawa clearly wanted: offense.
Eklund is not built like Tkachuk, and he won’t replace the physical edge or the bruising presence around the net. What he can do is help fill the scoring gap. At 23, the former seventh overall pick already has the kind of skill set that fits the modern NHL, and his production in San Jose suggests Ottawa may have found a strong offensive stand-in.
Over the last two seasons, Eklund posted 58 and 53 points. Tkachuk, in the same span, finished with 55 and 59.
That’s a close enough match to make the Senators’ thinking easy to follow. If Eklund could produce that kind of output while skating behind Macklin Celebrini and William Smith, there’s a real argument that he can push even higher on a top line with Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson.
That possibility is what makes the fit so intriguing. Eklund’s game is built more around vision and playmaking than brute force.
He doesn’t bring Tkachuk’s heavy net-front style, but he does bring the kind of touch that can open up space and create cleaner looks for shooters. In tight areas, his ability to work defenders should give Batherson and Stützle more dangerous chances.
At first, the move looked like a quick reaction. But the more the numbers are examined, the more it looks like Ottawa may have made a smart offensive pivot. Eklund may not be Tkachuk, but he has the tools to give the Senators a more attacking look and make the front office’s gamble pay off.
In Other News...
Senators Face A Season Defining Atlantic Division Test
Ottawas offseason additions were made with a clear purpose: give the roster more ways to handle the grind of a division that figures to be anything but forgiving. The Senators have spent enough time trying to climb back into relevance that the next step is less about promise and more about proving they can live with the pressure that comes from playing in a crowded Atlantic.
The challenge is obvious, with Tampa Bay, Montreal, Buffalo, Toronto, Boston and Detroit all part of the same traffic jam. In a tightly packed Eastern Conference, Ottawa should be in the playoff conversation for a long stretch, but the real test may be whether the Senators can stay close enough to matter when the standings finally begin to sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face A Familiar Trade Dilemma As Staios Protects The Core
The Senators are still working the trade market with a pretty clear shopping list: a scoring winger and a top-four right-handed defenseman. That search has already brought familiar names back into the conversation, including Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, but the bigger takeaway for Ottawa is just as important. Steve Staios is looking to add without touching the center group, which keeps Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig out of the discussion.
That stance says plenty about where Ottawa sees its core, even if it leaves the club in the same familiar spot of trying to improve around the edges without sacrificing the middle. It is the kind of balancing act that can define a season for a team trying to take the next step, and it also means the Senators may have to be patient if the right fit on the wing or the blue line does not materialize quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Fans May Finally Get The Farewell They Wanted
Erik Karlssons future in Pittsburgh is already drawing attention as he heads into the final year of his contract, and the expectation around the league is that the Penguins are unlikely to take the next step with an extension. If Pittsburgh is out of the race, a trade would become a real possibility, which is why his name has started to surface in early chatter well before the season gets rolling.
Ottawa is among the teams being mentioned as a possible landing spot, and it is easy to see why the Senators would be interested in a player who could bolster the right side of their blue line. There is also some parallel intrigue around Vladislav Gavrikov in New York, where whispers suggest he may not be thrilled with the Rangers direction, but for now the focus in Ottawa remains on whether Karlsson ever becomes available at the right time. [Read more 🡒]