Sharks re-assign top prospect Eklund to Sweden

The San Jose Sharks re-assigned forward William Eklund to Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League, the team announced Friday.

Eklund skated in nine games with the Sharks to begin the season, collecting four assists. San Jose selected the 19-year-old with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

"This was one of the toughest decisions we have had to make," general manager Doug Wilson said. "William's tremendous skill and vision have been evident since his participation in our rookie tournament in September. In his nine NHL games as a teenager, he has shown that he is going to be a special player in this league, but ultimately, we feel it is in the best interest of his long-term development to return to Sweden and continue to work on becoming the dominant player we know he can be."

Eklund said he's disappointed with the Sharks' decision.

"I think I did what I could to stay here, and I was just trying to do my best every day. Of course, rules are rules," he said.

Eklund played with Djurgardens the past two seasons, recording 11 goals and 23 points over 40 games during the 2020-21 campaign.