The New York Islanders are taking a cautious approach with their prospects. Despite a lackluster offseason, the team is gearing up for training camp next month with a competitive depth chart that rising star Victor Eklund will need to navigate and prove himself.
While retaining veterans like Ondrej Palat, Anthony Duclair, and Pierre Engvall might not have been primarily about fostering young talent, it incidentally benefits Eklund’s maturation by placing him amidst seasoned competitors.
The crowded roster on the wings guarantees a challenging environment in which Eklund must earn his place instead of landing it by default. Even if he doesn’t make the starting lineup for the season opener in Toronto on September 29, the natural ebb and flow of the season suggests he will get his opportunity sooner rather than later.
This situation is vastly different from the dramatic entrance of Matthew Schaefer into the NHL. At just 19, Eklund, who spent the majority of last season with his hometown Swedish Hockey League team Djurgårdens, is expected to take on a role in training camp akin to Cal Ritchie’s previous year.
Ritchie arrived at camp as a seemingly superfluous 24th player on a roster that ultimately made room for 23. He impressed everyone, leaving little doubt he was NHL-caliber despite a minor injury that temporarily delayed this inevitable decision. After just one game in the AHL, he quickly found his place with the Islanders for the remainder of the season.
Should Eklund follow a similar path, his 2026-27 season would be a rousing success.
“I think the question is not if he’s going to be able to play in the NHL. The question is how much can you get out from him to his maximum, if you know what I mean,” Michael Holmqvist, a Djurgårdens assistant coach and Eklund family friend, told The Post on Sunday, “because I think a lot of players can survive playing and doing the job, getting the pucks out, getting the pucks deep and stuff like that and be an energy guy. But I think there’s a lot more to Vic than just being that.
“So the question for me is, what’s the best thing for him to do right now? Is it to work himself into the NHL right away and trust the process, stuff like that? Or get more time practicing his offensive game. I think that’s the question for the Islanders.”
Eklund, along with Anton Frondell, Viggo Björck and fellow Islanders prospect Calle Odelius, has been practicing with Djurgårdens recently as SHL training camp has picked up. He’s put on a few pounds of muscle, and that will need to continue being a theme as he grows.
Even with a wiry frame, 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he has a terrific reputation for winning puck battles and one-on-ones along the boards. There is some question whether he’ll need more muscle for it to translate to the NHL, but, Holmqvist said, he wondered the same when Eklund went from the Allsvenskan — Sweden’s second division — to the SHL, only for his compete level to keep shining through.
Eventually, that relentlessness could translate into Eklund being an effective net-front player, something the Islanders desperately need with Anders Lee’s exit. There is still, though, a long way to go.
“I talked about that three days ago with him,” Holmqvist said. “Because we talked about it last year to find that spot and that’s probably where he’s going to find most of his goals and points. So he’s aware of it, but he needs someone to be there every day and remind, remind, remind..”
What the finished product looks like is a question that won’t be answered this year. For an Islanders club in transition, that’s perfectly fine. They have the luxury of being able to cater to what’s best for their prospects. As for what that is?
“I think the next couple months will tell,” Holmqvist said.