SAN JOSE – It appears like William Eklund has flown beneath the radar for the San Jose Sharks this season.
Whereas another gamers on the Sharks roster have warranted consideration by means of the primary six-plus weeks, Eklund has quietly gone about his enterprise throughout what has to this point been a stable sophomore NHL season.
Maybe that’s why Eklund has not often been mentioned as a candidate to crack Group Sweden’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off that begins in February. However with every nation’s 23-man roster due on Monday, Eklund has seemingly amassed a resume worthy of consideration.
After Friday’s NHL video games, Eklund was fifth amongst all Swedish-born forwards with 22 factors, trailing solely New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt (29), Los Angeles’ Adrian Kempe (23) and Detroit’s Lucas Raymond (23).
Going into the Sharks’ recreation in opposition to the Seattle Kraken at Local weather Pledge Enviornment on Saturday, Eklund carried a four-game level streak and led the group in November with 14 factors in 14 video games. Winger Fabian Zetterlund, one other candidate for Sweden’s roster, had 11 factors in 14 video games.
However past Eklund’s stats is his bettering 200-foot recreation. He’s routinely performed in opposition to the opposing group’s prime strains and advanced into one of many Sharks’ most relied-upon penalty-killing forwards.
“He’s a smart player,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated of Eklund. “His hockey IQ is extraordinarily excessive. He is aware of what’s happening within the recreation inside his shift. We use him on the penalty kill, and normally, you must have a excessive IQ for that.
“In today’s game, with power plays so deadly and creative, you need to have some smarts on the penalty kill, where in years past, you had your third, fourth line guys (filling that role). Now, you see a lot of top guys penalty killing, just because the level of IQ and the power plays are so high.”
Eklund ranks eighth amongst all Swedish NHLers in common shorthanded time on ice per recreation (1:34). After Friday’s video games, the Sharks had a penalty kill proportion of 80.5, tied for Eleventh-best within the league.
That potential to kill penalties and match up in opposition to expert strains might be Eklund’s finest hope to be one in all Sweden’s 13 forwards for the occasion, which is able to see video games held in each Boston and Montreal. Rosters will likely be introduced on Wednesday.
Eklund stated he has spoken with Group Sweden coach Sam Hallam, who has been behind the bench for Tre Kronor for the final two World Championships. Eklund stated enjoying within the best-on-best occasion has been someplace at the back of his thoughts however added he’s not dwelling on whether or not he’ll make the group.
“It’s nothing I focus on too much,” Eklund stated. “They’ll make the selections they need to make. I’m simply attempting to do the most effective I can.
“I’ve tried to focus on my everyday work here and see what happens.”
Eklund final represented Sweden in a global occasion on the IIHF 2022 World Junior Championship in Edmonton. The match, although, was canceled simply three days after it began, as a number of gamers examined constructive for the coronavirus.
Eklund, taken seventh general by the Sharks on the 2021 NHL Draft, then determined to not take part within the subsequent World Junior match, additionally in Edmonton, in August 2022, selecting as an alternative to concentrate on the beginning of his North American skilled profession.
The 4 Nations Face-Off, which options 23-player groups from Canada, the US, Finland, and Sweden, is the primary best-on-best worldwide hockey match because the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which featured Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture on the victorious Canadian group.
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Every group will carry 20 skaters and three goalies. Forwards already named to the Swedish group are Nashville’s Filip Forsberg, Toronto’s William Nylander, and the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad.
Different forwards thought-about within the combine for Sweden embrace Bratt, Kempe, Raymond, Vegas’ William Karlsson, Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek, and Boston’s Elias Lindholm.
Might Eklund be an asset to Group Sweden? Contemplating his level totals (22 factors in 25 video games) and penalty-killing attributes, in all probability. If not now, then quickly.
“I think I’m having a way better season this year than last year so far, and I feel way better about my game,” Eklund stated. “Obviously all the players deserve credit.”
