Islanders Expected To Recall Top Prospect Victor Eklund

The New York Islanders are expected to recall top prospect and 2025 draft pick Victor Eklund from the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. Eklund, the younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, made his AHL debut on March 27th following the end of Djugardens’ season in Sweden’s SHL. He has been red-hot ever since, scoring seven assists and nine points in his first seven AHL games.

On the heels of that strong start, Eklund could make his NHL debut in the Islanders’ season finale on Tuesday. New head coach Peter DeBoer spoke about his hopes to incorporate future impacts into the lineup of the Islanders’ final game, after the team was eliminated from playoff contention. Eklund will certainly be a part of that group, after being drafted by the Islanders with the 16th overall pick last year.

Eklund has a long history of success at the pro level. He scored 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, as a rookie in 2024-25. He formed a formidable tandem with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell, enough to earn Djugardens a promotion to the SHL in 2025. The duo stayed hot – Eklund by scoring 24 points in 43 SHL games – to help Djugardens avoid relegation this season. Now, the aggressive forechecker and strong shooter could test his talents in the Islanders lineup. His debut may come at the expense of one of the Islanders’ short-term forwards, like Ondrej Palat or Marc Gatcomb. Eklund enters the NHL already boasting a World Juniors Gold medal and HockeyAllsvenskan championship.