Is William Eklund worthy of playing with Tim Stutzle on the Senators' top line?

New Senators winger William Eklund is stopped by Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky at Amerant Bank Arena on January 19, 2026 in Sunrise, Fla.) Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

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Have the Ottawa Senators found their new top line?

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Unless general manager Steve Staios pulls off a mammoth deal or makes a splash in free agency in the coming days, it’s looking like newly acquired forward William Eklund will begin training camp as the Senators’ No. 1 left winger.

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Of course, coach Travis Green will have the final say, but the early projection is that Eklund will play with Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson.

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That’s an intriguing new look up front. But will it work?

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The makings of a lethal duo

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When you’re playing with Stutzle, you’ve got to be able to keep up, and Eklund checks off multiple boxes immediately.

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“Obviously, (he’s) a great player,” Eklund said of Stutzle during an introductory Zoom call on Friday morning. “He’s been a great player in this league for a while now. If you get that opportunity, just do the best you can with it.”

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The 23-year-old, acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks earlier this week, is a smooth, agile skater with good speed. He’s got the hands and playmaking ability to perform give-and-gos on the rush and pick apart opposing team’s defensive structures in the cycle.

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There is some size missing here — Eklund is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds; Stutzle, 6-foot, 187; Batherson, 6-foot-3, 209 — but the most dominant line in the playoffs proved that tenacity is far more important than frame.

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The Carolina Hurricanes’ second line of Jackson Blake (5-foot-11, 185), Logan Stankoven (5-foot-8, 165) and Taylor Hall (6-foot-1, 210) was impossible to contain in each of the four series it played in this spring. The trio’s relentless puck pursuit forced a ton of turnovers, their speed and skill were dangerous on the rush, and they could find each other anywhere on the ice.

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Indeed, Stutzle, Eklund and Batherson have the tools to become a uniquely threatening line. Eklund won’t exactly be throwing bone-crunching hits, but he’s slippery along the walls, fearless in front of the net and has a great motor.

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These three could toy with opponents in the offensive zone.

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But remember: Someone has got to shoot the damn puck.

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Fire power wanted

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It’s safe to say that the Sens were in search of a scoring winger after notching only five goals against the Hurricanes in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. And that search became absolutely critical when captain Brady Tkachuk, who scored at a pace of 30 goals or more each of the past five season, decided to quit on the team.

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Unfortunately, Eklund hasn’t exactly been the most deadly shooter at the highest level. The Swede has a career-high of 17 goals in the NHL, set during the 2024-25 season. This past year, he had just 15.

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Sharks fans and analysts have noted that Eklund was particularly unlucky last season, with an 8.5 shooting percentage. It has been speculated that a wrist injury sustained at the 2025 world championship hampered his shot this past season.

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“Obviously, when you have to rehab for three months and then get ready in one month,” Eklund said, “it’s a little different off-season compared to this one. But, you know, it didn’t affect my game, I would say.

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“Compared to this year, I’m fully healthy, nothing is bugging me. I just feel like (there’s) a better chance for me to get ready the way I want to. I’m just excited to get there and get going.”

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These aren’t excuses, though. It was clear on Friday that Eklund understood that goal-scoring is a major hole in his game.

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“For me, myself, it’s always been my shot,” he said. “That’s something I need to improve, and that’s something I’m working on every day. Obviously, the Sens have given me a big chance here to come to Ottawa and play on a really good team, so I appreciate that chance. I’m going to do as best as I can to be a better player.”