Latest news with #Eklund
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Islanders' Calle Odelius excited at reuniting with Victor Eklund
The last time Victor Eklund and Calle Odelius were on the ice wearing the same uniform was two years ago with the under-20 team for Djugardens, the Stockholm-based club that Eklund helped get promoted to Sweden's top division last season. At the time, Odelius was in his first season after being drafted by the Islanders in the 2022 second round. Eklund was a 16-year-old, hoping to rise through the ranks. Now, Odelius is heading into his second full season stateside after coming over and playing with Bridgeport last year. Eklund is on Long Island for the week at development camp after getting picked 16th in last week's draft, and he is getting advice from his close friend on everything from how to navigate the Islanders' organization to the local golf offerings. 'Super fun. I'm super proud of him,' Odelius told The Post. 'He's a good friend of mine, and we played together in Djugardens and built some chemistry there. So hopefully, we can keep building that chemistry here on the Islanders.'
Ottawa Citizen
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Mark Seidel previews the 2025 NHL Entry Draft
Article content The 2025 edition of the NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Article content Below is a rundown of the top 20 Players for the Draft and an abbreviated 20-team mock draft I have prepared. Article content Deep Thoughts top 20 mock draft: Article content 1. NY Islanders — Schaefer: Franchise defender for the new GM Mathieu Darche Article content Article content 3. Chicago — Frondell: The big, strong Swede can play with Bedard Article content Article content 4. Utah — Desnoyers: The offensive upside and leadership intrigues them Article content 8. Seattle — Mrtka: The Kraken need some help on the back end and take the kid that plays for the hometown Thunderbirds Article content 9. Buffalo — McQueen: The intriguing package that McQueen offers is too enticing for the Sabres Article content 10. Anaheim — O'Brien: Pat Verbeek will love to see last year's No. 3 overall Sennecke play with the uber-smart Jake O'Brien. Article content 11. Pittsburgh — Aitcheson: The Pens need the rebuild to start and the competitive Aitcheson is a great start Article content Article content 12. Pittsburgh — Nesbitt: Dubas, Clark and Roque love to take kids from Ontario and a 6-foot-4, smart centreman will fit in perfectly Article content 13. Detroit — Eklund: Stevie Y loves his Swedish skill and Eklund has that in spades Article content 14. Columbus — Smith: The big, smart, steady D is a building block to help solidify the back end Article content 15. Vancouver — Bear: The western Canada product has shown he can play hard and put up points and the Canucks need both Article content 16. Montreal — Carbonneau: The Habs get the multi-dimensional Carbonneau to slot into the lineup in three years Article content 17. Montreal — Reid: The Kitchener Rangers defenseman has high IQ and makes plays, which are important to Kent Hughes Article content 18. Calgary — Reschny: The Flames are excited that the Victoria Royals star is still there to help their offensive prospect pool Article content 19. Columbus — Zharovsky: The Blue Jackets try to hit a home run with the super-talented, but inconsistent Zharovsky Article content 20. Winnipeg — Hensler: The Jets saw a lot of the steady defender Hensler at Wisconsin and he fits their style Article content
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kraken 2025 Draft Targets: Victor Eklund
Victor Eklund is the #2 ranked European skater in this year's NHL Draft, just sliding in behind his Djurgårdens IF teammate, Anton Frondell. The 18 year old, two-way center looks to be a top 10 draft pick on Friday after spending the entirety of his junior and burgeoning professional career in Sweden where he shines brightly in league and international play. He looks to join the NHL ranks along with his brother, William Eklund, who has just completed his second full season with the San Jose Sharks. This past season, Eklund posted 19 goals and 12 assists in 42 regular season games for Djurgårdens IF, a club in HockeyAllsvenskan, which is the second highest tier of professional hockey in Sweden after the SHL. Eklund and Djurgårdens IF won the HockeyAllsvenskan league championship and will be promoted to the top Sweden tier, SHL for the 2025-26 campaign. If Eklund doesn't crack the NHL roster immediately, he will most likely have a chance to develop further in the SHL. Advertisement The NHL club that selects Eklund will hope that he can bring his intensity and skills to their team in working order and that the translation from his game in Sweden to the NHL will be swift. Related NHL Draft - What Could the Future Hold for the Kraken's 8th Overall Pick? - Community Post NHL Draft - What Could the Future Hold for the Kraken's 8th Overall Pick? - Community Post With the 2025 NHL Draft only a week away, the Seattle Kraken currently hold the 8th overall pick. Let's take a look at how the past ten players who were picked 8th overall are doing. Eklund featured photo by - via Eklund hero photo by - via hockey
San Francisco Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Victor Eklund's persistence won out, as he and Swedish teammate Anton Frondell enter NHL draft
Victor Eklund refused to take no for an answer in badgering his Tier 2 Swedish league coach Robert Kimby to have him play on the same line as long-time friend Anton Frondell last season. 'Yeah, I think I told him 10 times,' Eklund recalled at the NHL pre-draft combine in Buffalo earlier this month. 'And he was like, `Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know.'' And then, one day after the Christmas break the two got their wish in eventually helping Djurgarden win a championship, and propel the pair to the top of central scouting's rankings of international skaters. Frondell, a center, is ranked first and a candidate to be selected as high as No. 2 by San Jose at the NHL draft in Los Angeles on Friday. He's a powerful playmaking skater who had 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games last season, second among league players 18 or younger. Eklund prides himself as a pesky winger, and regarded as a top-10 selection after finishing ahead of Frondell with 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games last year. 'I just knew from the beginning that if we got the opportunity, we'd take it and be the best line,' said Eklund, whose older brother, William, was a 2021 first-round pick (No. 7), and completed his second full season with San Jose. 'The coach probably got sick of me asking.' The two have known each other since playing on competing teams as 10-year-olds in Stockholm. And they've been teammates since 2021. 'I remember he actually made a move on me, like the puck between my legs,' Eklund said. 'He says he doesn't remember it, but I do.' Sitting next to Eklund, Frondell responded with a smile, saying: 'I actually do remember that move.' Pigskin to pucks Mason West was so pre-occupied juggling football and hockey as a high school junior, the 17-year-old didn't realize he was entering his NHL draft-eligible year. That's before the 6-foot-6, 215-pound hockey center/quarterback from Edina, Minnesota, got his invite to the NHL scouting combine. 'I was just taking it one day at a time,' said West, who is committed to play at Michigan State, and had a goal and nine points in 10 games as a rookie with Fargo of the USHL this year. 'I didn't really know the NHL stuff was going to happen this year,' added West, ranked 27th on central scouting's list of North American skaters. 'I kind of just kept working hard and opportunities came my way. So I'm just going to keep the same mindset.' After splitting his time at football and hockey evenly, West went all-in on hockey following the opportunity to play in the USHL. He's not giving up entirely on football yet entering his senior high school season. 'I try to set goals for the football and hockey year to try to win a state championship in both,' said West, who describes himself as a pocket-passer in football. 'I've been able to do that in hockey, but not football yet. So that's kind of the reason I have to go back and maybe win one.' West's idol is New York Islanders captain Anders Lee, who is from Medina, and also played quarterback in high school. Trading picks One draft pick has already changed hands this week, with No. 117 (a fourth-rounder) going from Vancouver to Edmonton for Evander Kane, and plenty more are expected to get traded through Saturday. Maybe even the 27th selection by the Washington Capitals. Just don't tell assistant GM Ross Mahoney. 'Any chance we trade the pick? What are you doing to me? I've been working all these months trying to -- yeah, there's always a chance that a pick could get moved,' Mahoney said. 'When you're on the amateur side, you love to make picks. That's your job. That's what you do as a group. But if you're making a trade to acquire an asset that you think is going to improve your team ... you go with that.' Mathieu Darche said the Islanders aren't trading out of the top spot. San Jose and Chicago are next, and Utah's Bill Armstrong said he and counterparts around the league have had discussions about the No. 4 pick. 'It's very rare that it's done that you could move from four to two or two to one,' Armstrong said. 'But, do you have to explore it? Yes. That's part of my job every morning. I wake up and go to work and see if we can better the pick or if we can come up with different options to maximize where we are.' Ice chips Yes, Boston College center James Hagens has seen the 'Bring Hagens Home' bumper stickers when back home on Long Island. 'It was pretty funny, gives you a good smile,' said Hagens, who grew up an Islanders fan. As for whether he made eye contact with the person in the car with the sticker, central scouting's top-ranked U.S.-born prospect laughed and said: 'Nah, I just tried to put my head down as he drove by.' ... Since 2015, 11 U.S.-born players have been selected among the top-five picks, including Auston Matthews (2016) and Jack Hughes (2019) going No. 1. ... Among mother-son hockey connections, Arizona State forward Cullen Potter's mother Jenny was a four-time U.S. Olympian. She was a member of the 1998 gold medal-winning squad, and holds the U.S. record with 32 career points in Olympic competition — five more than Hilary Knight, who is set to make her fifth Olympic appearance in February. ___
Hamilton Spectator
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Victor Eklund's persistence won out, as he and Swedish teammate Anton Frondell enter NHL draft
Victor Eklund refused to take no for an answer in badgering his Tier 2 Swedish league coach Robert Kimby to have him play on the same line as long-time friend Anton Frondell last season. 'Yeah, I think I told him 10 times,' Eklund recalled at the NHL pre-draft combine in Buffalo earlier this month. 'And he was like, `Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know.'' And then, one day after the Christmas break the two got their wish in eventually helping Djurgarden win a championship, and propel the pair to the top of central scouting's rankings of international skaters. Frondell, a center, is ranked first and a candidate to be selected as high as No. 2 by San Jose at the NHL draft in Los Angeles on Friday . He's a powerful playmaking skater who had 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games last season, second among league players 18 or younger. Eklund prides himself as a pesky winger, and regarded as a top-10 selection after finishing ahead of Frondell with 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games last year. 'I just knew from the beginning that if we got the opportunity, we'd take it and be the best line,' said Eklund, whose older brother, William, was a 2021 first-round pick (No. 7), and completed his second full season with San Jose. 'The coach probably got sick of me asking.' The two have known each other since playing on competing teams as 10-year-olds in Stockholm. And they've been teammates since 2021. 'I remember he actually made a move on me, like the puck between my legs,' Eklund said. 'He says he doesn't remember it, but I do.' Sitting next to Eklund, Frondell responded with a smile, saying: 'I actually do remember that move.' Pigskin to pucks Mason West was so pre-occupied juggling football and hockey as a high school junior, the 17-year-old didn't realize he was entering his NHL draft-eligible year. That's before the 6-foot-6, 215-pound hockey center/quarterback from Edina, Minnesota, got his invite to the NHL scouting combine. 'I was just taking it one day at a time,' said West, who is committed to play at Michigan State, and had a goal and nine points in 10 games as a rookie with Fargo of the USHL this year. 'I didn't really know the NHL stuff was going to happen this year,' added West, ranked 27th on central scouting's list of North American skaters. 'I kind of just kept working hard and opportunities came my way. So I'm just going to keep the same mindset.' After splitting his time at football and hockey evenly, West went all-in on hockey following the opportunity to play in the USHL. He's not giving up entirely on football yet entering his senior high school season. 'I try to set goals for the football and hockey year to try to win a state championship in both,' said West, who describes himself as a pocket-passer in football. 'I've been able to do that in hockey, but not football yet. So that's kind of the reason I have to go back and maybe win one.' West's idol is New York Islanders captain Anders Lee, who is from Medina, and also played quarterback in high school. Trading picks One draft pick has already changed hands this week, with No. 117 (a fourth-rounder) going from Vancouver to Edmonton for Evander Kane , and plenty more are expected to get traded through Saturday. Maybe even the 27th selection by the Washington Capitals. Just don't tell assistant GM Ross Mahoney. 'Any chance we trade the pick? What are you doing to me? I've been working all these months trying to — yeah, there's always a chance that a pick could get moved,' Mahoney said. 'When you're on the amateur side, you love to make picks. That's your job. That's what you do as a group. But if you're making a trade to acquire an asset that you think is going to improve your team ... you go with that.' Mathieu Darche said the Islanders aren't trading out of the top spot. San Jose and Chicago are next, and Utah's Bill Armstrong said he and counterparts around the league have had discussions about the No. 4 pick. 'It's very rare that it's done that you could move from four to two or two to one,' Armstrong said. 'But, do you have to explore it? Yes. That's part of my job every morning. I wake up and go to work and see if we can better the pick or if we can come up with different options to maximize where we are.' Ice chips Yes, Boston College center James Hagens has seen the 'Bring Hagens Home' bumper stickers when back home on Long Island. 'It was pretty funny, gives you a good smile,' said Hagens, who grew up an Islanders fan. As for whether he made eye contact with the person in the car with the sticker, central scouting's top-ranked U.S.-born prospect laughed and said: 'Nah, I just tried to put my head down as he drove by.' ... Since 2015, 11 U.S.-born players have been selected among the top-five picks, including Auston Matthews (2016) and Jack Hughes (2019) going No. 1. ... Among mother-son hockey connections, Arizona State forward Cullen Potter's mother Jenny was a four-time U.S. Olympian. She was a member of the 1998 gold medal-winning squad, and holds the U.S. record with 32 career points in Olympic competition — five more than Hilary Knight, who is set to make her fifth Olympic appearance in February. ___ AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report. ___ AP NHL:
