A Hard Look at How Eklund Has Improved, Where He Can Get Better (+)

What’s one word to describe William Eklund’s sophomore season leap?

It’s a cliché, but it’s confidence.

More confidence in his game, obvious from his jump from 45 to a career-high 58 points. More confidence with his body, adding six pounds of muscle since last summer. More confidence stirring the pot, jawing with opponents from Petr Mrazek to Matvei Michkov to Cale Makar. More confidence in the locker room, not carrying himself like a rookie anymore. More confidence dealing with media, like when he blasted Swedish newspaper Expressen for their false report that he had made the Three Crowns’ 4 Nations squad.

Even his voice is strikingly deeper, compared to Aug. 2021, when the almost stick-figure thin puck magician arrived in Silicon Valley for development camp, after the San Jose Sharks made the 18-year-old the seventh-overall pick of the 2021 Draft.

“I hope so,” Eklund laughed, when asked if anybody else has noticed his octave drop.

He agreed a greater confidence has permeated his 17-goal and 41-assist campaign, both career-highs: “I think that comes with time. Last year was my first year, obviously.”

So what’s behind the scenes of the 22-year-old’s improvement?

The points are obvious. But video from SportContract, micro-stats from Stathletes, and insight from Eklund and head coach Ryan Warsofsky show us how the boy wonder has become a man.

Just as important, where can he get better?