Islanders Confirm Long-Term Plans for Victor Eklund

The New York Islanders have confirmed plans to keep rookie forward Victor Eklund with the team for the remainder of the season. This decision, made after Eklund completed his 10th game with the club, will officially burn a year off his entry-level contract.

General Manager Mathieu Darche noted that Eklund has impressed opposing teams and staff. "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," Darche said. Despite initial questions about his physical stature, Eklund's 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame has not hindered his effectiveness. His physicality, play away from the puck, and strong battle level have been evident.

Coach Pete DeBoer highlighted Eklund's natural habits and defensive awareness. "I think his habits are really good naturally. 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," DeBoer stated. Eklund's strong defensive conscience has contributed to the coaches' trust, although he has not yet been heavily utilized in critical defensive zone situations late in games.

DeBoer further commented on Eklund's commitment to the team's structure, noting, "He's not a guy that's gonna cheat the game for offense. 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."

In other team news, Semyon Varlamov made his first start on home ice since November 2024, but is still seeking his first win since undergoing two partial knee replacements. Separately, Matthew Schaefer's 24th goal as a teenager tied Bobby Orr for the second-most all-time for a teenage defenseman.