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Recruiting for the 2021 NHL Draft had its issues, but one player everyone was talking about was Swedish forward William Eklund, who the San Jose Sharks selected seventh on Friday night.
What were they saying?
There is so much praise for Eklund’s hockey game and IQ, as he is widely regarded as one of, if not the best forward in this year’s draft class. A recurring weakness is his skating, but if his work ethic is as good as it looks, he’ll have no problem adjusting to the NHL level.
I’ve put together a quick roundup of Eklund tracing and tape failure reports. I encourage you to review them in detail, but I also pulled a few quotes from each piece.
Here’s what experts think about San José’s first-round selection:
Elite outlook
What stood out to me the most about Eklund in this game was his work ethic. I haven’t seen an eligible prospect in 2021 who works harder than Eklund, offensively and defensively. It is more visible without the washer. Eklund backed up nearly half of the ice, going 100 percent from a save just to force a drop by the puck carrier forward. Eklund’s conditioning must be insane. His two-way habits are elitist. He constantly scans his surroundings in the defensive zone, closes passing lanes and regularly picks up free pucks. It keeps its feet moving in all areas and at all times. – Lassi Allen
There is no doubt in my mind that Eklund is the best striker in this category. He might even be one of the best forwards (top-five?) To come out of recent classes. There are so many things out there. Energy, pace, work ethic, incredible deceptive skills, rush patterns, net workouts, tipping ability, forethought. Nothing is lacking in his skills. The skating is curved, but that doesn’t matter as Eklund rolls as hard as he can all the time. Non-stop energy. I just pop the ice up and down if that’s the right thing to do. He also has off-puck abilities, don’t get me wrong. He adjusts his speed to the game, scans his surroundings, establishes his pocket of space, and presents himself as a passing or shooting option. – David St-Louis
Dobber Perspectives
His 14 points in 19 SHL games so far rank among twins Sedin and Peter Forsberg for production at this age. While he might not have the edge these players have in terms of borderline generational players and certainly franchise players, Eklund should make a difference at the NHL level. His game has elevated the game to the seventh overall pick of 2020 at times this year, proving that he does more than just ride passenger with a veteran and top prospect. Eklund has the shooting ability to be a legitimate goal scoring threat as well as the creativity and playmaking talent to be the facilitator. He plays with speed and rhythm, often crushing less talented defenders with his persistence and desire to play in the middle of the ice and around the net. There is space with good body positioning and the ability to bounce off defenders. He fights hard and doesn’t give up games often, which makes him a problem almost every shift. – Tony ferrari
Smah Scouting
Eklund is the highest IQ player in this draft. He already understands covers better than most of the NHL’s top six forwards. The Stockholm native seems to know what the defenders are going to do before he makes a decision on his own. As a result, he manages to free himself completely around the lunge, near the crease, behind the net and in circles more often than it seems plausible. With the puck on his stick, he also puts his brain to good use. He routinely flips players on the cycle, not with outrageous moves, but by reducing himself to times his scorer least expects it, leaving them out of position and with Eklund free to walk towards goal. – Alexandre Appleyard
Buzz hockey
Eklund uses the largest area of European ice to his advantage in most of the packages showcasing his scoring prowess. His shot is undeniably good. The potentially scary thought is the way Eklund scores several of his goals as he drives towards wide swaths of ice past the goalie. Opposing defensemen in the SHL tend to use body checks to remove the puck from an attacker’s stick rather than checking, as the large surface area of the ice could make them very stupid if they miss a point. checking and the attacker simply avoids them. . In the NHL, however, the condensed ice surface and the more physical nature of the game could cause problems for the qualifying forward. – Hank Ball
Athleticism
Eklund was an important player on an SHL team at the age of 18 – a rare feat for a first-year draft-eligible player – and played well for the Swedish national team. He has good, not great, speed right off the bat to go with fantastic edging. He shows great elusiveness to escape the pressure and create space with his skating. Eklund skates fast, but it’s his skating and competition that has given him the confidence of the big minutes as he has shown he can be responsible with the puck. He combines that with a high skill level, a very imaginative offensively hockey IQ, and the ability to execute tough games at high speed. His ability to play in high traffic areas and win battles, but also to play on the perimeter and be a top player, will make him a versatile NHL player. In one sentence, Eklund presents himself as an undersized NHL frontline winger with dynamic attributes. – Corey Pronman
ESPN +
The scout continued, “He surprised everyone a bit. He was good last year, but he kind of blew up this year. He holds the puck so well that he protects it very well. He’s playing a mature game. He’s not one of those junior guys who come and skate all over the place. There is meaning to everything he does. I think he can be trusted, and that’s why he plays so many minutes for them. He was also part of a good line, and of course that helps, but he also scored a lot. “- Emilie Kaplan
Everything about the jersey
Despite Zator’s comparison to Devils prospect Alexander Holtz, there’s another Devils player Eklund looks a lot like on the ice: Jack Hughes. That is, modern Jack Hughes, not Jack Hughes in his draft year, which is a big difference and improvement. Eklund is a playmaker with dirty edges and an agility to break an adult’s knees at will. He has ice vision for days and can find room for himself or find a passing lane in any situation. The reason I say modern Hughes instead of 2019 Hughes is his defensive ability. Unlike Hughes before the draft, who was essentially above the defensive zone and his lack of defensive skill was noticeable, Eklund knows how to handle his defensive positioning and is a voracious backchecker, which is much more reminiscent of the Hughes than we’ve seen this before. past season. – Jenna Verrico
Last word on sport
Eklund spent most of his time in the SHL on the left wing, but played center at the junior level and for the Swedish junior national teams. Considering his skating, playmaking skills, and defensive play, he will likely be an NHL-level center. With a year of pro hockey under his belt, Eklund is one of the NHL’s most ready-made prospects in this year’s draft. However, that’s not a sure thing, and it should happen in training camp. Another year in the SHL and an experience at the World Juniors would not harm his development either. However, I wouldn’t expect him to be away for more than a year at most. Eklund’s play is reminiscent of Henrik Zetterberg’s, but this is only a comparison of style and not a comparison based on skill and ability. – Ben Kerr
On the failure before
Eklund’s game centers around his skills in possession of the puck, but — much like Dawson Mercer — he may not always get all the marks for his intelligence on the ice. Whether putting on a play or shooting, Eklund is able to record and react to almost any moving part around him. […]
A notable hit on Eklund’s game is his skating. It won’t fully hold him back at the NHL level, but he may not be able to beat defensemen with it. The good news is that this is not what he shaped his game on. However, he will have to work on a few small skating mechanics: recovery of the stride under the torso, flexion of the knees (sometimes) and cross acceleration. , as you will notice upon exiting the faulty area above. – Eric D
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