About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ELMONT, NY -- New York Islanders rookie Victor Eklund has turned heads this season, and not just his teammates or the club's upper management.
"He's done really, really well. Honestly, we've played some teams, and some of the GMs go, 'Oh, 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's got a dog-on-a-bone mentality.
"So he's been great. I was happy he got rewarded yesterday because he could have had a few more goals, and he's going to the net. He almost scored another one in the third."
Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche Provides Update On Mathew BarzalThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders">New York Islanders</a> have started the 2026-27 season off well, posting a 5-3-1 record through their first 9 games of the season.
Darche continued: "And if you go back to that play, it started with him bumping a guy on the wall, and then we kept the puck in. Schenn gave him a great pass, and he went on the breakaway. And every time he cycles the puck, instead of going wide on the outside, he comes right back inside. He plays on the inside. So even if he's not big, when you see him win a bunch of board battles, which is great to see."
Eklund, who after scoring in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, is about to play in his ninth NHL game of the season. If he reaches 10, the Islanders will burn this first year of his entry-level deal.
The Hockey News asked Darche how important Eklund has been to this team's success from the outset.
"He's earned a spot on the team, and we hope he's on the Island for a long time," Darche said. "There's still going to be a lot of improvement. He'll get stronger, he'll get faster."
Eklund now has two goals and one assist in nine games averaging 13:21 minutes per night.
Source: Sports
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