William Eklund, More Traded to Senators After Brady Tkachuk Deal, Sharks Get NHL Draft Pick

The Ottawa Senators aren't done making deals.

The San Jose Sharks announced Tuesday they traded forwards William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Senators in exchange for the No. 9 overall pick of the 2026 NHL draft.

Ottawa previously sent Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for three first-round picks and a second-round pick, meaning the left-winger will be teamed with his brother, Matthew.

Brady Tkachuk is a three-time All-Star and dangerous on the attack. While Eklund will surely look to help replace him, it isn't realistic to expect the same level of production.

Still, Eklund is just 23 years old with plenty of upside.

He has played at least 77 games in each of the last three seasons, including the 2025-26 campaign when he appeared in 78 and posted 53 points on 15 goals and 38 assists. He also finished with a career-high 58 points on 17 goals and 41 assists the previous season.

By comparison, Tkachuk's 59 points last season was something of a downturn after he finished with as many as 83 points during the 2022-23 season.

Yet Ottawa hasn't advanced past the first round of the playoffs since the 2016-17 campaign and could be looking at something of a reset after trading Tkachuk. Eklund is much younger, while Halttunen and Svoboda are both prospects.

The Senators lost one of their top playmakers in Tkachuk, but they are getting younger with a focus on the future.