William Eklund

Left Wing/Center

 Djurgårdens IF/SHL

Height: 5’10″/ Weight: 172 lbs.

Size/Strength      Average
Skating       Good
Shot/Scoring       good
Puckhandling      Excellent
Physical Play       Good
Offensive Play      Excellent
Defensive Play       Good
Hockey Sense        Excellent
Competitiveness    Excellent

Strengths

1. Eklund is an elite level scorer and playmaker, combined with tremendous vision; this makes him a threat every time he carries the puck into the offensive zone
2. He is the highest IQ player in this draft and already understands coverages better than most NHL top-six forwards
3.  Creates dangerous scoring chances for himself by getting to an open area, then using his quick release to beat goalies

Area’s for Improvement

1. Needs to bulk up a bit at least 5-10 lbs
2. Needs to improve on the velocity of his shot in order to be an elite scorer in the NHL

Scouting Report:

William Eklund is a late-2002 birthday, so he is a bit older than most of the draft class; his performance so far this year has been spectacular and impossible to ignore. His 14 points in 19 games in the SHL so far rank up there with the Sedin twins and Peter Forsberg for production at this age. While he may not be the franchise player that the Sedins and Forsberg were, Eklund should be a difference-maker at the NHL level. His play has elevated the play of the 7th overall pick in 2020 (Alexander Holtz) at times this year, proving that he is far more than a riding passenger playing with a veteran and a top prospect. Eklund can do it all offensively; he has the shooting ability to be a legitimate goal-scoring threat, added with the creativity and playmaking talent to be the facilitator. He has one of the highest IQs in the entire draft, combined with great vision and competitiveness. Despite not being the biggest player on the ice, he creates space for himself with good body positioning and has the ability to bounce off defenders. Eklund is a nightmare to match up against on nearly every shift because he is a wizard at creating scoring chances. William Eklund’s stock is on the rise, so it would not be shocking to see him being picked in the top 10.

Skill:

A highly skilled offensive player, high IQ, elite vision and playmaking abilities plus a good shot 

Style Comparison: Teuvo Teravainen

NHL Potential: Top 6 Point-scoring forward

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2018-19	Djurgårdens IF J18	J18 Allsvenskan	13	6	13
2019-20	Djurgårdens IF J20	J20 Nationell	31	12	36
2020-21	Djurgårdens IF	SHL	21	7	14