Photo: Bildbyrån
His father is a celebrated Djurgård icon and his brother is successful in the NHL.
Soon it will be time for Victor Eklund to take the next step – next season, according to Expressen, he will play in the SHL, where several clubs are chasing the 18-year-old.
He has had a really nice breakthrough in the hockey Allsvenskan during the autumn and has attracted interest from several big clubs in the SHL. Many agree that Victor Eklund18, will get his chance in the NHL in the future. The only question is where will Djurgårdsspelaren go next season?
Can go to rival
Victor Eklund has scored seven goals and four assists in twelve games for Djurgården in the Hockey Allsvenskan so far. Against Björklöven, he scored three goals and received a lot of praise. He has already shown that he masters the game in Sweden’s second highest division. While waiting for him to try out his wings in North America – he is expected to go early in the summer draft – a change to an SHL club may become relevant.
According to Expressen, Eklund will extend with Djurgården during the season, but if they do not succeed in getting promoted to the SHL, a move from the capital may be lost. Just like several of the club’s former talents (Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Noah Östlund, Liam Ohgren, Viktor Nilsson) he may be forced to make it to the SHL by leaving his heart club.
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One of the clubs interested in Eklund is Frölunda. Robert Ohlssonnow in Skellefteå, takes over the club after Roger Rönnberg and he has a past in Djurgården. Among other things, he has trained Victor’s older brother William who is now in the NHL with the San José Sharks. Ohlsson also has a good relationship with Victor’s father Christian “Fimpen” Eklund who is a legend within the club.
NHL interest is strong
It is not only Frölunda who are interested in the 18-year-old ahead of next season. According to Expressen’s information, several clubs are circulating around him and are prepared to cut depending on how things go for Djurgården in the hockey Allsvenskan.
Going forward, he will, with all certainty, get the chance in the NHL. There, the scouts are already aware of the talent he possesses.
– Victor played against seniors in the hockey Allsvenskan last season, and he showed that he was fantastic in many areas. But above all, I liked his attitude and his desire to score, says Jukka-Pekka Vuorinenwho is head of the NHL’s European Scouting, to the league’s website.
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– I don’t think too much about it. I’d much rather just go with it when things take off, but it sure would be fun to get drafted. It’s a pretty big deal, I think. I remember when my brother was drafted. It was during the covid-19 pandemic, so the draft was not in an arena. We sat at home and watched the TV broadcast from the draft, says Victor and continues:
– I sat next to William (when the San Jose Sharks selected him as the seventh player in the 2021 NHL draft). After he was drafted, we both stood up and hugged each other. It was a moment I will never forget.
It will be exciting to see where Victor Eklund ends up next season, if it will be in Djurgården or in another club in the SHL. To be continued!
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