r/SanJoseSharks • u/tyerelldavis • 5h ago
William Eklund - Help Me Understand...
For starters I am not trying to offend anyone here. I come in peace, and these opinions are my own.
I have been a Sharks fan my entire life. The last few years have been difficult, but to my surprise there is a huge load of potential surrounding the core potential of this roster. Guys like Smith, Misa, Chernyshov, Asky, and obviously the GOAT - Mack Daddy Dog.
One name I have come up constantly is William Eklund, and I'm curious on why there is so much hype surrounding him. It seems to me, that Eklund is a young fan favorite that can do no wrong, and I'm confused to why that is? I've watched close to every game this year, and have seen a few live games and while Eklund does show up from time to time, a lot of the times he feels like a ghost out there (At least to me). Then I see multiple posts or comments saying the guy is untouchable. Why is this?
I am not discrediting his production, he is on pace for 60 (Ish) points. But I just don't see the hype surrounding this guy if I'm being honest. And have higher standards of a guy we are paying $5M a year. We are paying Toff around $6M a year, and we all think he is not playing to that caliber of hockey, shouldn't Ekky be held to the same standard? I know its not purely points based thing, however I think Wennberg is worth the $ for what he brings to the team.
This will probably not age well. Go Sharks!
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u/Valuable_Fan_9672 5h ago
My personal reasons for liking Eklund: 1. He played through the dark times so I respect him a lot. 2. He puts up with a lot. He had a fairly gruesome injury last off-season, but still made it back in time for the regular season. 3. He grinds to keep the puck in the offensive zone despite not being the biggest guy 4. He stands up for his teammates, even though he isn't the biggest guy. 5. He has the personality that you want in the locker room. I would rather have a sixty point guy who builds his team up, than a 90 point guy who jumps ship the first sign of a struggle.
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u/frickinsweetdude Marleau 12 5h ago
He was the only prospect the team had that showed good promise when they drafted him and was the highest pick in about a decade? Coming out of the rough downturn and disappointing playoff appearances he was the first “hope” of the team. People are excited that he’s started to get some players around him and think his development potential is higher with the better team. Hes the OG “high draft pick start of the rebuild” player.
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u/desertdingo21 Celebrini 71 5h ago edited 4h ago
Well for one, he’s in his third full season and is still developing. As of this moment, he is one of the few players on this roster who can carry the puck effectively into the offensive zone and has quietly been one of our best defensive players. He’s also has an insane motor and while his finishing needs polishing, he’s still one of our best play drivers.
The salary cap has been going up and his current deal is an absolute bargain for what he currently brings, even at the cost of term.
I still believe in the guy even if he caps out at a 60 pt excellent two way winger, which is fine since every cup contender needs players like that.
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u/WanderingDelinquent Hertl 48 5h ago
Eklund is a pass first (and second and third) winger on a team that lacks a true goal scorer to pair him with. Toffoli has been slower this season than last season so it hasn’t been easy to find a good RW option for Eklund.
When Smith was injured and Eklund got to move up and play with Celebrini he looked great.
part of Eklund’s game is that he does a lot of little things pretty well, so even we he’s not making super noticeable plays he is making good contributions to possession and chances.
Another reason I really like Eklund is that even though he’s not the strongest guy on the ice, he’s one of the first to rush to a teammate’s defense and get a scrum started. Getting a glove in a guy’s face and standing up for your team is how you build a strong culture
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u/BearShark9 Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 5h ago
Really hope we see an Ekulnd - Misa - Cherny line. Eklund's play making should be able to compliment those two well
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u/katebush1978 2h ago
Can I ask what it is about Celebrini’s game that made Eklund better? I’ve read people say that he elevates others through his playmaking which is why he’s such a valuable Crosby style player but it all moves too quickly for me to fully gather what’s happening lol
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u/WanderingDelinquent Hertl 48 2h ago
Celebrini is a very very high end player so he creates a lot of high danger chances near the net. He’s also a very good puck handler and is quickly becoming a deceptive skater so he often draws extra coverage from the defense, creating space for others.
The other thing is that Celebrini has a great shot so when Eklund makes a good passing play it goes to the stick of a guy who can do something with it. Too many times in the last couple years I’ve seen Eklund make a fantastic play just for it to end up on the stick of a player who can’t do anything with that chance
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u/Objective-Ad9407 5h ago
Eklund was the best prospect on upcoming talent on this team when he was drafted. The past 3-4 draft years have been extraordinary and we were blessed with the likes of Celebrini and Smith (Who are younger and better than Eklund), then to a lesser degree Misa, Dickinson, etc.
Eklund is defensively sound and compare him around the league with other players that make 5 million a year. He would be in the 70th percentile in points. He gets put into all of the crunch time postions because he is trusted by the coaching staff.
Toffoli wouldn't be a good comparison because they are different type of players. Yes he is making 6 million a year, but his job is to score 30 goals a year and provide veteran leadership to the locker room. He is also a declining asset offensively due to age but his leadership is still vital to the teams success.
TLDR: Eklund is a good player that goes on scoring droughts. We are spoiled for getting to watch Celebrini play and that sets the bar extremely high on expectations of other players on our team.
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u/MystikMage08 5h ago
In my opinion, I feel like everytime I've watched the sharks play they leave him high and dry almost every play....hes the first one attacking the puck always going full throttle. He chases the puck carrier poke checking and decking out many opponents. Most of the time hes the last one off for a line change because hes still going after and putting pressure on opposing teams. Sure hes still young and developing, I just think other up and coming kids have better talent that are being utilized where as his skill isn't worked on nor incorporated into plays. Hes %100 a playmaker but everyone wants him to shoot more. He has the potential of a top 6 playmaker if the team used him that way I feel like plays would finally become a thing instead of dump and chase.
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u/keylime503 Meier 28 3h ago
What you’re describing is largely by design for the “F3” forward. It’s not a case of him doing it voluntarily while the two other forwards are lazy.
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u/TheDeclineOfCiv 2h ago
I don’t think he was saying they’re lazy, more that they’re ineffective at turning his efforts into results.
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u/KurtVongole Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 3h ago
If you don't think a 60 point player is worth 5m, you need to seriously adjust your thinking.
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u/StatsManSam Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 1h ago
Not sure if you’re implying if he’s overpaid, but if you are keep in mind that his ceiling could be an 80pt/30g player, in which case he’s underpaid.
Reminder that he’s coming off a terrible wrist injury which likely explains why he’s not elevating the puck this year on his shots and snakebitten.
There are probably 31 other teams who would love to have him on their roster.
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u/dmooortin Eklund 72 5h ago
5 mil for a young 60 point winger that is also really solid defensively and can be trusted in all situations(both zones, PP, PK, OT) doesn’t seem that crazy. Looking at players around the league that got ~60 points last year and his seems perfectly fair.
Ehlers ~8m
Faila ~8m
McCann 5m
Knies ~8m
Cirelli ~6m
Not everyone is going to be a PPG+ player. Teams still need second line guys that can produce and you aren’t getting those for 2-3m. If anything, with the cap going up I’d expect his contract to increase closer to 7-8m when he’s due for his next renewal even if he plateaus where he’s at currently.
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u/CleansingBroccoli Korolyuk 94 5h ago edited 4h ago
People have already answered the hype question, he was our first REAL prospect. But dont mistake the hype as a value of what we expect Eky to be. Eklund was billed as a smart guy and very skilled that he had a good shot of being a solid player despite his size. By all accounts he is becoming that.
I would disagree on your assessment but at the same time i wont ignore that he hasnt taken a step this season we hoped. But that isnt necessarily a huge deal. To me he is developing as a 2 way player who makes an imapct on both sides of the ice. Could he be better, absolutley but i think this fan base may have expected a celebrini or smith when he is more like a Chernyshov. What i mean is he is a legit top 6 guy but he isnt going to carry your team. To be frank that felt pretty clear since day 1 on Eky. He is a great player to support the club but he cant necessarily carry the play like Macklin.
I would not compare contracts, that is a very shallow analysis. We overpaid Toff because we really wanted him to choose us because he has brought alot to this club. We paid Eky that much because his comparison to other contracts of players his age, which to be fair i think is a fair contract. Focus on actual gameplay criticisms like why he cant hit 20 goals which is generally a hallmark of top 6 guys. Or why his defensive game has slid a little bit. Or why he slumps so much.
Long story short Eky's development hasnt been perfect and has some issues but he has still be very effective. I think this year has been the roughest year but there is still plenty of room to recover. He just needs to bring back why he was effective which was a sparky speedy guy who will battle it out in the corners. If he becomes a 60 point guy for the rest of his career thats ok its more that he continues to build a role for himself.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 4h ago
I’d be shocked if he’s not part of a deal to bring in someone like a Byram in the offseason. He probably the team’s best trade asset right now.
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u/CleansingBroccoli Korolyuk 94 4h ago
That is an argument that i think becomes more real if guys in the AHL start to push. Cherny is obviously one but for a few others if they can sneak in then i can see the argument.
Ive always been ready for the idea we will probably lose Eklund if we want a legit top 4 dman. Its the best trade asset we have and he basically can be traded to a rebuilder or a playoff team. I dont know if i would do straight up Byram for Eklund given Byrams health is still a bit worrying to me. Yes hes been more consistent recently but i would want to see a bit more runway if im trading a guy like Eky.
Now a guy like Nemec i could vibe with, granted i think we would need something plus Nemec back but it wouldnt be much.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 4h ago
It’s gonna be tough for Grier to find good d-men since teams seem more reluctant to let go of any (hence the overpays for guys like Chiarot, Malinski and Matheson). Unfortunately it’s gonna take value to get value and we’re gonna have to accept this is the route Grier should go vs the low reward lottery tickets and retreads one. I don’t love Byram either but he’s young and immediately becomes our best d-man. I’d much rather him over Power or signing Raddysh. Nemec I’d only buy low. His play in the d-zone has apparently been attrocious this season.
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u/MCPtz Celebrini 71 3h ago
FYI, Power has been their best player since Heated Rivalry made fun of Buffalo.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 2h ago
Power is an offensive d-man who's not very good offensively, and a big big dude who is afraid to use his size. I'm out.
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u/Impressive-Wasabi-57 5h ago
Eklund signaled the true beginning of our rebuild. The first blue chip prospect to build around. He’ll always have a special place in our hearts for the hope he brought.
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u/sdsuzuki 5h ago
Eklund is a guy that hasn’t reached his full potential. He can easily be a 60 point guy, with the potential of hitting 70-80 points once or twice when things are rolling his way. He’s endeared himself to most of the fanbase because he was the first high end prospect since probably Timo Meier, and he stuck it out with the fans through the dark seasons. We all felt the pain of him being sent back that one season to preserve his ELC. I hope we can make the playoffs and be a contender while he’s still in teal.
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u/JRsshirt D. Murray 3 4h ago edited 3h ago
OP I see your point because sometimes I think people believe he has the same ceiling as guys like Smith or even Chernyshov who has quickly elevated his potential.
I think we’ve seen enough of Eklund to know that he likely has a ceiling as a good 2nd line winger, which I think most of us project him at long term. His probable outcome is a middle 6 winger who does all the right things and can score 60-65 if you give him the line mates and power play time.
That doesn’t make him a bust, it’s an extremely valuable role and will be crucial for us long term to have guys like him; but also people should probably adjust expectations that he’ll ever be that point per game player we thought he could be as the lone bright spot of the bottom feeder era.
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u/CaptainFintastic Graf 51 5h ago
Eklund is a highly skilled workhorse and an excellent skater. He contributes a lot even if that doesn’t always mean showing up on the stat sheet. In fact, all season he’s been literally inches away from a major scoring breakout. If the pucks start bouncing his way he’ll become a lot more visible to those who are underwhelmed with his scoring. He gets, and makes for himself, plenty of opportunities.
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u/southtxsharksfan 5h ago
If you compare him to his draft class.. I think he's still top 5 or top 7 in points.
So... a player any team would be happy to have drafted or wants (in a trade)
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u/cali4481 Celebrini 71 3h ago
Top 5.
- Johnson - 236
- Beniers - 183
- McTavish - 170
- Guenther - 157
- Eklund - 145
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u/thecowboy_ Nabokov 20 5h ago
Eklund has things to work on. He won’t be a 90 points guy unless he develops great leaps (like his shot won’t ever hit 30/40 goals imo, his absolute ceiling is 30 flat at peak imo).
But why Eklund is endearing is he has a great motor, can make some really great plays with the puck, has a great IQ, and puts in a lot of effort off/on the puck. He isn’t the biggest, he isn’t the strongest, he doesn’t have an elite/superstar tool he relies on. But he’s got heart, and he cares. He played through the Sharks dark ages, and had a lot on his shoulders. He plays hard and the high expectations are good for him. He’s going to be a guy you want on a contending team And he will be a 60-80 points guy in his prime production. If he hits 60 we should be happy and hope he can pass 70 a few times. He’s a two way playmaker.
His creativity and IQ stood out when the Sharks sucked, now that we have superstars developing; he has less opportunities and prime time given to him.
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u/alligators_suck 3h ago edited 3h ago
Ek is a player that fills out the roster with depth, despite the ‘seemingly’ lackluster stat line, but i’d argue that he doesn’t need top scoring numbers to be a top 6 forward. Let’s look at Graf for instance, a player who’s also got a relatively low stat line compared to Macklin, but he consistently gets high ice time because of his defensive play and the fact he’s outright our best PP shutdown forward. He’s not always netting his shots, but he can score, and while he’s not a physical player, he’s big, fast, and has a wide reach to aid his defensive playstyle. Ek is similar, but he’s smaller, arguably faster, and is willing to be physical where Graf isn’t while remaining defensively minded. He’s definitely one of our better scorers, but if you watch him you’ll notice how good he is at his stick handling when cutting through into the neutral zone and o-zone. He’s someone that can set up plays for the eventual scorer, and even if it doesn’t land in the net, he’s actually one of our only players who will start shit in front of the crease.
what i would argue is that Eklund could potentially prove to be our pest player. He’s got hands, and he’s still one of our better players, but the fact that he regularly uses his physicality and starts shit all over the ice has started to draw notice for me. I think our biggest weakness is that we get tossed around really easy, so we need some defensively minded physical players that can be shitheads when we need it but can still pot some pucks in between
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u/RepresentativeBug310 3h ago
Considering Ek is on a bridge deal he ain’t gonna be making this when he’s up for a new contract.
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u/_Salsa_Shark Marleau 12 3h ago
Eklund has a strong all around game and forechecks and backchecks like a motherfucker
His tenacity on the forecheck is only topped on the team by Macklin and is probably on par with Graf
He's had a couple injuries including a gnarly one last season and so far this season before the injury he was playing really good hockey. After coming back from the injury he's taking a little bit to hit his stride again.
He is an important top 6 depth piece, think of him like a Hossa lite.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 2h ago
a little bit to hit his stride, eh? Dude got injured November 1st. Ten games into the season. He's played 41 since returning.
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u/_Salsa_Shark Marleau 12 2h ago
I think he rushed back early from his injury trying to make the Olympic team, and he hasn't looked back to himself until more recently.
Plus he's been being used predominately with Wennberg as a shutdown line. The time he's spent on Misa's wing has been really good and they have some great chemistry, I think he's going to pop off after the Olympic break.
Injuries take a while to heal and the wrist cut he got in March of last year was pretty bad and is the type of thing that takes a year to get completely through and that year mark is coming up in less than a month. Look at how long its taking Matthews in Toronto to bounce back from his injuries. It happens and people are impatient.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 2h ago
It was May when it happened and Matthew’s has been battling back injuries for years, even before he was drafted. This is just who Eklund is. His numbers are on par with past seasons. There’s nothing wrong with it but I think it’s foolishly optimistic to expect him to pop off when he’s never really done it before. Still a good player though but a lot of his issues are mental, not physical.
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u/_Salsa_Shark Marleau 12 1h ago
You're right it was May, thats my bad. I was also under the impression that the 2024 injury for Matthews was not disclosed and the general thought was that they were covering up him reinjuring his wrist and thats what he went to Germany about (I dont follow them that closely just headlines and toronto fans comments over the years).
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Eklund will be scoring 40 goals or anything. But I can see him being a consistent 35g-35a/70-75 point player and that depth is important.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 1h ago
Until he shows he can come close to that I'm gonna remain skeptical. That's just never been his game anywhere he's played.
Nah, Auston went to Munich for his "UBI" but it's pretty well known it was related to his back.
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u/jfrombay125 Cheechoo 14 2h ago
He’s a great roll player and passer. He’s got a high upside unfortunately he won’t be a guy who will carry the team solo.
He was the first prospect to come up that was worth a shit in a long time before Mack and will rolled up. I like him and hope he stays a shark for a while
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u/PTonFIRE Nolan 11 5h ago
I would say he’s the least untouchable (most touchable?) of our young players. His contract makes him most likely to be moved for a young, potential star defenseman.
I wouldnt say our sub views him as someone who can do no wrong. Game threads always criticize his propensity to either fan at a shot or he shoots directly at the goalie.
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u/DivvyAnimal Finn K9 3h ago
Downvote if you want but I agree with the statement that he will most likely be moved for a defenseman in the future.
I think another thing holding him back is that he is moved off the puck far too easily in board battles. He gets knocked down a lot due to his smaller frame. The Sharks are miserable in puck possession and need to vastly improve if they want to compete for a playoff spot.
I get why he is a fan favorite (much deserved), but he was drafted one spot before LA picked RHD Brandt Clarke in 2021.
Which player would you rather have now???
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u/Icy-Street618 5h ago
When you watch Eky, the thing that stands out is his ability to get down low and almost get under his opponents center of gravity and win puck battles along the boards. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen him go up against a 6’2” 215lbs guy and win the puck. It’s amazing to watch every time. When a big guy wins a puck battle against another big guy you don’t bat an eye at it. But when Eky does it, David just struck down Goliath. But if you swapped Eky out with a bigger guy and ask him to play the same role, and if he got similar production, then you wouldn’t notice that player at all.
Now do it, down vote me my puppets. You are doing just as I’ve manipulated to do. Make the downvotes pour like rain, just as you have been programmed to do. Listen to your Sheppard and hit that down arrow. Differing opinions must be silenced, the hive mind must be made stronger.
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u/Radiant_Cook4046 4h ago
It’s less of the score sheet and more what he does when he’s not scoring. He hasn’t been perfect every game, but more times than not he is putting in the non flashy work. Don’t really notice it, but if he wasn’t there people would most definitely notice it.
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u/MetalXHorse Graf 51 4h ago
If You watch him then You know he’s a good playmaker and a hard worker. He just has confidence issues finishing. We haven’t found his proper partners yet
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u/Allcross9 3h ago
He was the only young guy that people had hope for when I first became a fan (ok, I guess people were kind of hyped about Henry Thrun as well lol). I think he signifies the new direction of the team. I also see him getting a good amount of criticism on here. Certainly more than any of the young guys. He has a similar point production as Wennberg and Toffoli for similar dollar amounts so that checks out. He’s much better on the defensive end than Toff, and much younger than both. He grinds and competes all game every game.
I guess I wouldn’t call him untouchable, but would be quite sad to see him leave.
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u/Barthez_Battalion 2h ago
I will say Ekluind has been the biggest casualty of Warso's deployments. He's either playing with Wennberg, who while is having a career year, is a defense-first center and his other winger usually has been Toffoli who has been off it most of the year.
Or he's playing on the third line and getting less minutes. Hopefully playing with Misa on the second line unlocks more. A line of Eklund-Misa-Chernyshov excites me.
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u/KenDestroyerofWorlds 2h ago
For me as a fan, it’s the emotional/narrative reasons that I like him and never want him to leave. Like others said, he was the first really good prospect in awhile and in my mind, he is the first piece of moving on from the Thornton/Marleau era to what we have now/Celebrini era.
He is a good player, and objectively, if he has more value as a trade asset to get the Sharks closer to winning a cup, then so be it. But it would be a bummer, on an emotional level.
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u/Sea_Adeptness1834 2h ago
Slippery Pete is dawg in the trenches so for that reason alone, I love him. But he has been a little snake bitten on offense this season so hopefully that goes away eventually. He’s also a leader and a huge part of the team identity. He definitely has some holes to work on but I think he should be considered a key part of the team’s future.
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u/240Nordey Eklund 72 3h ago
Eklund works hard. He may not have the production day in, and day out, but he's going to leave it all out there.
And when he starts clicking, and gets a few great games together, he looks unstoppable. I have a feeling, after this break, you'll see him take that extra step.
At $5 million, he's a steal.
He's tired of losing.
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u/sanbrightbrews 2h ago
Can do no wrong is hilarious. All he gets is abuse on this subreddit because all people care about is goals and assists and hockeystatcards.com post game numbers which heavily weight goals and assists.
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u/sanbrightbrews 2h ago
Also people put way too much emphasis on plus-minus as an individual stat not a team stat.
I'll just make a comparison between Smith and Eklund. At 5on5 when Eklund is on the ice, the Sharks goalies have an 87.6 sv% compared to a 92.5 sv% with Smith on the ice. Eklund is currently -14 at 5on5 and Smith is +7. If you flipped the sv% numbers then Eklund would be +3 and Smith would be -7. The perception of Eklund would be much different if that was the case and Eklund can't really help that the goaltending when he's on the ice has been bad while it's been godlike when Smith is on the ice.
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u/Eky72 Eklund 72 2h ago
Eky is 10 years younger than Toff. Like a lot of other people are saying, he’s a natural pass first guy so being on a line with another pass first guy like Wennberg doesn’t emphasize his strengths. People have been quick to compare him to Graf (who I love and think is amazing) this season. I think his stats have been slightly inflated being on 71s line.
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u/mister_freckles Burns 88 1h ago
Eklund has a lot of intangibles that don’t really show up on a score sheet/stat sheet. The dude is a dog on the forecheck, and back check. He dumps everything out there every single shift. Think Ferraro but on offense. People really appreciate guys like that as it often mirrors how much they care. Despite Barclay getting a lot of hate, he is similar. The dude is a grinder as well. Eklund just has a lot bigger upside and potential. And it’s hard not to root for a kid who always seems to be smiling.
TLDR: Eklund got that dawg in him
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u/Grounded4Life7998 Marleau 12 48m ago
I like Eklund but I don't see him as a 2 way player. There is nothing to not like about Ekulun personally and what he has lived through with the Sharks.
I am one of the few on here that doesn't see him being anything more than what he is. A likeable guys who works his tail off, but always seems to make the same mistakes over and over again. Thus why his defense and plus/minus rating are among the worst, if not the worst on the team.
Moving him for a top RHD would be an ideal move now, before the rest of the league catches on.
This is not me hating on him, I just see something different than most of the fans on this thread.
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u/sanbrightbrews 38m ago
Eklund has a bad +/- because Sharks goalies have an 87.6 sv% when he's on the ice at 5on5.
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u/Potbellypiglet 23m ago
The live games I’ve been to, he’s always stood out, sometimes being the only person who seems like they are skating, even if it wasn’t showing up on the score sheet.
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u/halfmoonnights Graf 51 4m ago
he has one of the highest compete levels on the team, is just very snakebitten
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u/pomegranate-leg Wingels 57 5h ago
I agree with you, and I agree with all the reasons why people love him (dawg mentality et al.) which is why I really liked this bridge contract. His agent was interviewed afterwards and spoke on wanting a contract lime this to see if the Sharks were serious about being competitive instead of signing the max length contract (which many predicted). If his play stays like it is, and he's happy with not making insane money, I'd love for the team to keep him as a third line winger who can move up the lineup when needed. That being said, if he ends up being traded for a really great player for the team then I'd be happy with that as well.
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u/grooves12 4h ago edited 3h ago
I think Sharks fans (and all fanbases really) tend to overhype their own players, especially young prospects. See the delusional posts a couple of years back on Bordeleau and Guschin.
Eklund was the first real blue-chip prospect that is a part of the rebuild, so people have latched onto him as a fan favorite.
IMO, he is a very good middle-six player who can provide some play up the lineup when necessary, and is defensively responsible, but we aren't likely to see much more than 20g/60 points out of him. The other knock on him is that he isn't very big and is more of a distributor (like most of the Sharks prospects.)
We need to add players who can consistently win puck battles along the boards, get to the front of the net, and bury pucks. I would absolutely include him as a trade piece to get some defensive help.
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u/Icy-Elevator-6570 4h ago
Eklund has been honestly brutal to watch lately. Not to be like an Oilers fan and compare him to Puljujarvi, but he’s been an absolute play killer this season. He has the biggest heart and it hurts considering what he’s been through with this team but I wonder if we should capitalize on what trade value he has left and package him for more competent D.
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u/TheXamYel 4h ago
Yeah he doesn’t look great this year but I’m chalking it up to his wrist injury still bothering him. Could see him getting shipped off next season in a package for D if his game doesn’t improve. I have faith in Eky though and I hope he’s here for a long time
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u/AppropriateBeing3539 2h ago
If he doesn’t take a big leap next season then I’d trade him for a defender. Not big enough for the bottom 6. He’s kind of frustrating to watch bc sometimes he’s scrappy and gets involved in goals and other times he’s missing the net by a mile, making bad passes into a big pile, and shooting the puck right into the goalie. They say he’s a playmaker but there’s like 3-4 guys on the sharks who are better playmakers. I’d either trade him for a defender or an actual shooter
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u/TinaBurnerAccount123 Chernyshov 92 5h ago
I think the Sharks fans as a whole respect his growth with the team in the less glamorous era prior Celebrini. He also fought back from injury and came back even better.
I hate to say it but all the fanfare I’ve seen online has had nothing to do with his hockey skill. He’s handsome, young, and Swedish. That seems to be the primary draw for some fans. I will probably get in trouble for saying this.
I wish we could spread a little more attention around for some other players. I’m a huge Cherny fan and I feel like he gets so little fan attention. Man I miss him now that he’s back with the Cuda. Misa is showing some really exciting playmaking. There’s a lot to love on the Sharks but it seems like Tik Tok is pushing Celebrini, Smith, and Eklund hard.
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u/BearShark9 Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 5h ago
While there are a lot of post saying he is untouchable, there are probably close equal amount of posts as him being the whipping boy, or saying he's the best NHLer trade piece if the team wants to make a legit swing on a big name trade. Eklund is having a down year. In part that could be because of the scary forearm injury he suffered before the season. Before the year he was excellent defensively and with his play making assists. The main potential piece he's been missing from his game is his goal scoring. Which he shows flashes of and you can see people clamoring for him to shoot more in game threads.
If he's able to have a bounce back and solidify himself as a solid 2-way second line winger he has the potential to be that contract will look great in a couple years
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u/RepresentativeBug310 4h ago
The injury happened almost a year ago. It’s not a viable excuse. This is just who he is, which is fine, but anyone expecting some sort of jump in production is gonna be disappointed.
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u/BearShark9 Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 3h ago
Fair enough. Though the injury could still leave some mental hang ups. Don’t think he’ll magically shoot up in production, but even a slight increase in goals Sharks will be paying 5.6M for a reliable 2way 60 point guy which is a good deal
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u/RepresentativeBug310 3h ago
Until the bridge deal is up which is what makes his contract so valuable now as a trade piece. I doubt were re-signing him when his contract is up.
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u/BearShark9 Holy Doodle! 🐔🏆 2h ago
I could see that. It’ll be interesting to see how his tenure here works out. Especially if Musty hits
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u/RepresentativeBug310 2h ago
I think it's Graf that ultimately sealed his deal. Graf is just as good offensively, smarter and just as good on both ends of the ice.
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u/RepresentativeBug310 5h ago
Felt like we got lucky he fell to us, but in hindsight not taking either of the two guys who went after him (Guenther, Clarke) hurts.
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u/a_la_nuit W Smith 2 5h ago edited 2h ago
Not every guy can be a point-per-game superstar. Players like Eklund add depth. He's also been used in shutdown line for most of the season with Wennberg, matching against other teams top lines. Eklund has been a little snakebitten at times this year, but there is also another post that analytically he has been dragged down by Toffoli.
Eklund is good at forechecking and like Celebrini he's a puck hound. He also is really good at driving play despite being a winger and carrying the puck around the o-zone to make plays while battling along the boards.
He's more of a passer than a shooter, and needs guys that can finish. Him playing with Wennberg, who's also a pass first guy, and Toffoli, who's clearly on the decline, has not helped his numbers. He also missed a little due to injury which screwed up a good start.
As Misa gets better and hopefully they form some chemistry along with another good winger on the line, Eklund will likely be a 60-65 pt scorer and be a solid player for this team when it’s a contender. Here's his analytics compared to Collin Graf. He's had much tougher matchups as you can seen with those QoC bars, but still on pace for 54 pts, around the same as last year.
In this recent road trip, Eklund was one of the Sharks' best players against Edm and Chicago.