Victor Eklund Surprised by Islanders Roster Spot, Faces Tough Competition

TORONTO — Rookie forward Victor Eklund admitted he was the most surprised person to learn he had made the New York Islanders' opening night roster. Despite his own surprise, Eklund's play throughout training camp and preseason, coupled with an injury to teammate Mat Barzal, made his inclusion an apparent certainty for the team's management.

Eklund played 11:38 in his first meaningful NHL game during the Islanders' 2-1 season-opening loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 30, 2026. He was deployed against the Maple Leafs' top line, featuring Auston Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, and Jack Roslovic. Coach Pete DeBoer acknowledged that Eklund showed improvement as the game progressed and had scoring opportunities, stating he had "no problem with his game at all."

General Manager Mathieu Darche described the decision to keep Eklund on the roster as "the obvious thing to do" by the end of camp. Eklund, however, maintained that he did not feel secure about his roster spot at any point during the preseason.

Meanwhile, Mat Barzal, who is recovering from a left kneecap injury, has made "really, really good progress" according to Darche. Barzal is expected to begin skating "early next week at the latest." The next step in his recovery will be to ensure there is no inflammation in his knee before proceeding further.

In other team news, Nick Leopard, founder and CEO of Accordion, an AI-focused financial consulting firm, has been confirmed as the lead investor in the group that acquired a 15 percent share of the Islanders. Leopard and David Shuman, whose minority stake was announced in late August, have both received approval from the NHL.