Eklund regarded for ‘fearless’ style of play entering 2025 NHL Draft

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 27-28 at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round will be held June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at Djurgarden forward Victor Eklund. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Victor Eklund is regarded for his toughness and tenacity on the ice, and for some of that he credits his older brother, San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund.

"That's what I told the teams, that I always got beat up and couldn't do so much to him," said Victor, who at 18 years old is four years younger than William. "So he's used to beating up people and I'm used to getting beat up.

"Especially when we played land hockey, always broke out with a fight, guys sent into the bushes."

Victor (5-foot-11, 169 pounds) now is the one sending opponents into bushes -- or the boards.

He mixed equal amounts of skill and snarl to lead under-20 players in Allsvenskan, the second highest professional hockey league in Sweden, with 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games with Djurgarden. It was the most points by an 18-year-old Allsvenskan player since Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson had 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games for Timra in 2016-17.

He's No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters for the 2025 draft.

"Victor is like a junkyard dog," Djurgarden coach Robert Kimby said. "When the puck goes in the corner, he really wants to be the first guy going there and he wants to get out with the puck. He is not afraid of any contact. It doesn't matter if the guy's two heads taller than him, he's fearless. He's not afraid to go into any situation."

While some of that fearlessness came from brotherly abuse, it also was inherited from his father, Christian Eklund, who was a forward for 19 seasons in Sweden and Germany.

"He was kind of a grinder I think, closer to me than William," Victor said. "I pretty much got both [skill and toughness]. My dad, he was kind of dog on a bone. He always worked his hardest and competed everywhere. So that's where I get my compete from."

Kimby, in his first season with Djurgarden, didn't need long to realize he had a special player.

"We decided early that we're going to play him and we're going to give him the opportunity, and he took the opportunity right away," Kimby said. "For him, it was natural to take a lot of responsibility."

The way he handled that extra ice time helped Eklund earn a spot with Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games as the team's youngest player.

He also had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 16 games in the Allsvenskan playoffs to help Djurgarden earn promotion back to the Swedish Hockey League next season.

"It's probably the biggest thing in my career so far, biggest thing in my life," Eklund said. "It was just amazing. Can't even describe how happy I am for us and the team and all the supporters. It's great to win."

He expects to be back with Djurgarden for at least one additional season to do more winning before moving to North America. Staying in Sweden also will give him a chance to add more strength while continuing to hone his game against older, more developed competition.

"I can get better at everything, but the most thing I work on is probably gaining more weight," Eklund said. "That's what I'm focused on, and obviously keeping my speed."

When he does come to the NHL, he'll have a chance to get on the ice again against William, who was selected by the Sharks with the No. 7 pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and had an NHL career-best 58 points (17 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games this season.

Victor admits there are some similarities to their style of play, but believes he brings more of a physical element.

"Both of us really like to compete a lot, and both of us like to make plays," Victor said. "The difference is, I'm more of a guy who gets into the game, into the physical parts, and being in the boards, having a few hits and stuff, and he's more of looking for the pass, more of a guy who's more skilled with the puck."

In addition to William, Victor also says he patterns his game after Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.

"I love his game," Victor said. "It's just the toughness he's bringing and the energy. I just really enjoy how he plays."

NHL scouts have said the same thing about Eklund.

"Eklund is an active and alert player who plays with confidence and intensity," Central Scouting director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He is a robust checker who uses his acceptable acceleration and speed on every shift. He's stronger in game situations because of his great mentality and work ethic. He has excellent skating ability, accelerates and moves from side to side, and fakes defenders with style. He plays at a higher tempo than many others in a game.

"Victor’s efforts, intense playing style, and emotions show a tremendous overall mentality. He is a playmaker with an ability to manipulate. He plays head-up with the puck, looking to create, and has perfect vision and creativity."