Swedish winger Victor Eklund, 18, has signed a three-year entry-level
contract with the New
York Islanders, the team that drafted him 16th overall
at the recent NHL Entry Draft, the
club announced on Monday.
In all likelihood,
however, Eklund will be returning to Djurgården, the Stockholm-based
club where he has played since his childhood, like
his longtime teammate Anton Frondell.
Last season, Eklund
had 31 points in 42 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second
tier of professional hockey. He then had seven points in 16 playoff
games, helping Djurgården gain a promotion to the top-tier SHL.
“I don’t know,”
Eklund said back in October when asked where he himself playing next
season. “I haven’t talked to anyone. I’m in Djurgården now and
(I hope) we’re going to the SHL. I hope there won’t be any
weirdness there.”
It was recently
reported in Swedish media that Frondell, who was chosen third overall
by the Chicago
Blackhawks in the same draft, will sign with Chicago this week but will not attend the team's training
camp this September, instead choosing to prepare for and start the
season with Djurgården without interruption. If that’s the case,
it would seem likely that Eklund will do the same.
In addition to
Eklund and Frondell, Djurgården’s lineup for the upcoming season
will also include veteran center Marcus Krüger, who was a two-time
Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, Finnish
right winger Jesse Ylönen, Swedish
defenseman Gustav Lindström, and Swedish goaltender Magnus
Hellberg.
Photo © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
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