Ex-NHL Head Coach Details What He’s Liked About Eklund (+)

One ex-NHL head coach is impressed by what he’s seeing from William Eklund.

Five games into the 2021 first-rounder’s second San Jose Sharks stint – the then-teenager had four assists in nine games to begin last season before getting returned to Sweden – Eklund has just one assist.

But the points should be coming, if the 20-year-old keeps making the plays that he made in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

I thought it was the winger’s best offensive performance since his call-up last weekend. Per Natural Stat Trick, Eklund was on the ice for seven High-Danger chances for and just three against at 5-on-5, his best ratio over the last week (going backwards from the St. Louis Blues’ game to his Washington Capitals season debut, 4-2, 2-6, 1-3, 1-7).

San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn was also complimentary, “He had a really good game.”

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It wasn’t just coach-speak, if you believe the coach that I asked about two Eklund plays that stood out to me last night.