Eklund Deal Can Open Up Bigger Trade for Sharks…But For Who?

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Nov 05, 2024; San Jose, CA, USA; during Columbus Blue Jackets at San Jose Sharks at SAP Center. Photo: Hockey Shots/Dean Tait

The San Jose Sharks have traded William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators…so what’s next for the Sharks?

The Sharks traded Eklund, along with prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda, to the Senators for the No. 9 pick of the 2026 Draft.

So why did the San Jose Sharks move on from the popular winger?

It doesn’t feel like GM Mike Grier is done. On the surface, it doesn’t make sense for a team that’s trying to get back into the playoff picture to trade an established and improving 23-year-old winger in Eklund for just a draft pick, however high, especially when there are clear holes on the Sharks’ blueline.

At the moment, the Sharks have just two blueliners signed, veteran Dmitry Orlov and sophomore Sam Dickinson, and a couple RFAs in Michael Kesselring and Shakir Mukhamadullin.

So using that No. 9 for some defensive help right now makes sense.

It is San Jose Hockey Now’s understanding that the San Jose Sharks had “lots of interest” in top-pairing defenseman Bowen Byram, dealt after the Eklund trade.

Read the Full Article at NBC Sports Bay Area​

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