Senators acquire winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks

William Eklund of the San Jose Sharks and David Kampf of the Vancouver Canucks battle for control of the puck during a November 2025 game. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson /Getty Images

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Steve Staios wasted no time pulling the trigger on another trade.

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Less than 48 hours after sending captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, the Ottawa Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager brought in some scoring help by acquiring winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday afternoon.

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Staios flipped the 2026 No. 9 overall selection he acquired from the Panthers in the Tkachuk deal to the Sharks in exchange for the speedy Eklund, along with forward prospect Kasper Halttunen and the rights to unsigned draft pick Brandon Svoboda.

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“William is a dynamic and skilled forward who plays with a competitive edge,” said Staios. “We are excited to welcome him to the Senators organization, and he will fit in well with our core group of players.”

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This was a trade Staios had to make because, after Tkachuk’s departure, the team needs help badly as it looks to make the playoffs for a third straight season.

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William Eklund looks to get his stick on a loose puck while in tight against Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf during a November 2025 game. Photo by Darren Makowichuk /Postmedia

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The Senators felt they had to move quickly to try to fill the spot on centre Tim Stutzle’s left side after trading Tkachuk. The belief is that the 23-year-old Eklund has the speed and ability to play with Stutzle.

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He finished with 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points in 78 games with the Sharks last season. A Stockholm native, Eklund is excited about being reunited with former Sharks teammate Fabian Zetterlund.

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The two are best friends after playing together in San Jose, but the Ottawa Citizen was told that Eklund was caught off guard by the move because he didn’t expect to be traded.

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Eklund has 163 points (50 goals, 113 assists) in 252 career NHL games with the Sharks. He was selected No. 7 overall by San Jose in the 2021 NHL draft.

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William Eklund of the San Jose Sharks and Josh Samanski of the Edmonton Oilers battle for the puck during an April 2026 game. Photo by Eakin Howard /Getty Images

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This is a good move for the Senators because it gives them some cost certainty, as Eklund is already signed to an extension. He will start a new deal next season that will pay him an average annual value of $5.6 million U.S. per season for the next three years.

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The Senators now have $19 million in cap space for next season after acquiring Eklund.

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“He’s gritty and skilled. He’s definitely fast,” said a league executive. “He’s not big. He’s small. He’s got a good package of skill with grit.”

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Unable to get a player off the Florida roster in the deal for Tkachuk, Staios needed to get something in return for the No. 9 selection in this year’s NHL draft. If the Senators had stepped to the microphone on Friday night to use that pick, it would have been a huge disappointment for fans of the Senators.

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Staios told reporters on Monday that interest in the No. 9 and No. 25 overall selections he acquired from the Panthers had been robust. Many hope that acquiring Eklund is just the first in a series of moves because the Senators still need more help up front and have been seeking a top-four right-shot blueliner.