There was little suspense surrounding the decision, but Thursday marked confirmation that the Islanders are planning for Victor Eklund to remain with the major league club for the long haul this season.
Thursday’s matchup marked Eklund’s 10th game with the team this year, meaning the 20-year-old Swede has officially burned the first year of his entry-level contract. It is a milestone that reflects his immediate impact, having passed every early test in the NHL with flying colors. His progress was underscored during a recent 3-2 overtime defeat to the Kings at UBS Arena on Oct. 22, 2026, a contest in which Eklund netted a power-play goal during the second period.
Despite questions regarding whether his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame would pose a hurdle to his effectiveness at the professional level, Eklund has quickly dispelled those concerns. His most notable attributes have been his relentless physicality, strong play away from the puck, and an exceptionally high battle level.
“Honestly, we’ve played some teams, and some GMs go, ‘You know what, I noticed Eklund,’” Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but even in the third yesterday, he’s one against three on the forecheck. He comes out from behind the net with the puck. He’s relentless. He has a dog-on-a-bone mentality.”
Coaches often hesitate to trust young players due to inconsistent habits or a lack of defensive responsibility, but Eklund has largely bypassed that learning curve.
“I think his habits are really good naturally,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he’s got a defensive conscience to his game naturally that he showed up here with. And you combine that with he’s a really smart kid, so he’s picked up the details of what we want to do fairly quickly.”
While the Islanders have not thrown the young forward directly into high-leverage defensive-zone faceoffs or heavy minutes late in the third period, they are also avoiding overly sheltered matchups.
“He’s not a guy that’s gonna cheat the game for offense,” DeBoer added. “He’ll take his offensive opportunities when they’re there, but he’s got a real good defensive conscience when he’s on the ice, which is really rare for a young guy.”
Thursday’s game also marked a milestone behind the bench, serving as the 43rd regular-season meeting and 55th overall game including playoffs between DeBoer and Peter Laviolette. DeBoer holds a 23-18-2 regular-season record against Laviolette’s teams, alongside an 8-4 playoff mark that includes series wins in 2012 with the Devils over Laviolette’s Flyers and in 2016 with the Sharks over the Predators.
Elsewhere on the roster, goaltender Semyon Varlamov made his first start on home ice since Nov. 25, 2024, though he remains in search of his first victory since returning from two partial knee replacements. Meanwhile, teammate Matthew Schaefer secured his 24th career goal as a teenager, tying Bobby Orr for the second-most all-time by a teenage defenseman in league history.
