Senators acquire Eklund, prospects from Sharks for ninth-overall pick at 2026 draft

San Jose Sharks' William Eklund (left) and Igor Chernyshov (92) celebrate Chernyshov's goal against the Winnipeg Jets during first period NHL action in Winnipeg, Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have acquired forwards William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and the rights to unsigned draft pick Brandon Svoboda from the San Jose Sharks, the NHL club announced Tuesday.

The Senators traded the ninth-overall pick at the upcoming NHL draft in return.

The Senators acquired the pick as part of the recent trade that sent captain Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers.

Eklund, 23, has 50 goals and 113 assists in 252 NHL games and is under contract through the 2028-29 campaign at US$5.6 million a season. He was selected seventh overall by the Sharks in 2021.

Halttunen, 21, was a second-round pick in 2023 and registered 35 points in 69 American Hockey League games last season with the San Jose Barracuda.

Svoboda, 21, was a third-round selection in 2023 and had 15 points in 35 games last season playing for Boston University in the NCAA.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press