When Ottawa sent out Brady Tkachuk and then brought in William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks just days later, the reaction from the fanbase was split. Losing a captain always lands hard, and the move to replace him with a very different kind of player only added to the uncertainty. But with a few months now separating the trade from the immediate shock, and training camp closing in, Eklund’s fit in Ottawa looks worth a closer look.
The most obvious reason for optimism is age. Eklund is 23, and he’s already developed into a 50-point player with room still left to climb.
He didn’t get first-line minutes in San Jose, but he still held his own in a middle-six role. Put him next to Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, and the upside becomes easy to picture.
The contract only adds to the appeal. Eklund is set to begin a three-year, $16.8 million deal with a $5.6 million AAV this season.
That kind of number can become a real advantage if he’s producing on the top line. For Ottawa, it also gives the team some flexibility to use its cap space elsewhere while building toward contender status.
On the ice, Eklund checks two boxes this offense badly needed: a heavy shot and real speed. Last season, his hardest shot registered at 143.65 km/h. He also fires often, which should mesh well with a player like Stutzle, one of the league’s better playmakers.
The skating is just as important. Eklund’s top speed last season reached 35.90 km/h, and he recorded 109 bursts between 32-25 km/h. It’s the profile Senators fans have been asking for: a fast winger who can shoot.
In Other News...
Senators Camp Battle Could Shape Travis Greens Bottom Six Identity
Training camp is already doing some of the work the Senators hoped it would do, forcing a real look at how the bottom six might take shape under Travis Green. One of the more practical questions on the board is the fourth-line center spot, where Ottawa has two under-contract options trying to make the case for a permanent role while the coaching staff sorts through the lineup.
Stephen Halliday offers the look of a younger center with size and passing ability, while Nick Cousins brings the veteran edge of a player trusted for faceoffs and physical play. It is the kind of camp battle that can quietly influence more than one spot in the lineup, because the way Green fills out that depth role could tell you a lot about what he wants from the rest of his bottom six, even if the final answer is still a little unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Captain Debate Just Got More Complicated
The Senators search for their next captain is staying on the back burner for now, with Travis Green making it clear the club wants more time before putting the letter on anyones sweater. Green said the staff plans to watch how the group comes together during training camp before settling on a direction, a reminder that this is as much about chemistry and leadership fit as it is about talent.
Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot have been viewed as the most obvious names in the mix, but the conversation is not being limited to just those three. Green said the decision is still being sorted through and will involve more evaluation and discussion with players, which leaves the door open for a wider field and keeps one of the teams biggest leadership questions unresolved a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Batherson Contract Tension Could Finally Surface For Senators Fans
The Senators annual Foundation charity tournament is set to bring Drake Batherson and GM Steve Staios into the same orbit, which is exactly why the event has taken on a little extra weight this week. Batherson is entering the final year of his current deal, and with Ottawa still trying to map out its long-term core, any conversation around his next contract carries real significance for a team that believes it has room to keep building.
Batherson has been linked to a major payday, with league comparables pointing to the kind of contract reserved for top-line producers who can drive offense for years. Ottawa does have notable cap flexibility down the road, but the shape of the deal remains the real question, especially with the sides working through a market that has changed around the league. For Senators fans, the tournament may offer the first real chance to read between the lines. [Read more 🡒]