San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Mike Grier announced today that the club has acquired the ninth overall selection (Florida’s selection) in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forwards William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and Brandon Svoboda.
The Sharks now own the second, ninth, and 27th overall selections in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Eklund, 23, ranked second on the team in assists (38), fourth in points (53), and seventh in goals (15), reaching the 30-assist and 50-point threshold for the second consecutive season. From Apr. 2-8, Eklund matched a career best four-game assist streak (two goals, four assists), appeared in his 200th game on Dec. 7 at Carolina Hurricanes, and reached the 100-point milestone with an assist on Feb. 28 vs the Edmonton Oilers.
Over the course of his NHL career, all with San Jose, Eklund has appeared in 252 NHL games, scoring 163 points (50 goals, 113 assists). He was selected seventh overall by the club in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Halttunen, 21, appeared in his first full season with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL), San Jose’s top developmental team, appearing in 69 games and scoring 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists). Halttunen finished in the top 20 among AHL rookies in points, and was eighth among Barracuda skaters in points. He also appeared in two Calder Cup playoff games, recording one assist.
Halttunen was selected by San Jose in the 2023 NHL Draft (second round, 36th overall).
Svoboda, 21, appeared in 35 games for Boston University (NCAA), recording 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his sophomore season. Last year, he represented Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championship, scoring six points (three goals, three assists) in seven games, helping the team win a Gold Medal. The Sharks selected Svoboda in the 2023 NHL Draft (third round, 71st overall).
