With the Stanley Cup Final already here, 30 NHL teams have moved into the offseason. The first order of business is the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which is taking place on June 27 and 28. The first round specifically is on June 27, where a few teams will find their franchise players. Of course, there is the rare occasion where one gets drafted outside of the first round, like Nikita Kucherov or Kirill Kaprizov.
The Buffalo Sabres, in particular, hold the ninth overall draft pick in this upcoming draft. There are a few players that the Sabres should consider taking if they are available. One of those is Victor Eklund, whom any team picking after sixth overall should pounce on the opportunity to draft.
Eklund Is an Elite Offensive Player
Eklund, coming over from Sweden, has lit up the scoresheet playing in Europe. This season, while playing for Djurgårdens IF in the HockeyAllsvenskan, he recorded 19 goals and 12 assists, totaling 31 points in 42 games played. The only other players to have a higher point-per-game rate in league history (minimum 20 games played) are Elias Pettersson, Anton Frondell (projected 2025 top-10 draft pick and teammate), William Nylander, Alex Wennberg, and David Pastrnak. That’s some very elite company he has joined.
Measuring 5-foot-11 and weighing 161 pounds, Eklund is a smaller player, but he’s one of the quicker and faster players in this draft. Not only is he fast and quick, but he is also a pure goal scorer who has demonstrated the ability to score from close range or long range.
Eklund not only possesses an elite finishing ability but is also an elite playmaker. His vision, combined with his speed, helps create space not only for himself but also for his teammates. His ability to set up his teammates is a skill that not many goal scorers possess. He plays bigger than his size and has a knack for getting to the dirty areas as well. He reminds me of Zach Benson but with a higher offensive ceiling. The Sabres lack some players who are willing to get to the dirty areas and do whatever it takes to put the puck in the back of the net, which is why Eklund would be an excellent fit for the Sabres.
Why Should the Sabres Consider Drafting Eklund?
Even with quite a few forward prospects in their system already, Eklund is a can’t-miss player and is someone the Sabres need on their roster. A willingness to go into the corners and win puck battles, go to the front of the net, play bigger than his size, combined with his speed, playmaking/scoring ability, and his competitiveness, makes him precisely what the Sabres need. He is a player who can be an outstanding top-six forward in this league for a decade or more.
Putting him with Tage Thompson, Jiri Kulich, or J.J. Peterka would show everyone why the Sabres would have made the right choice selecting him ninth overall. If the Sabres were to draft him, it’d feel like when they took Konsta Helenius during the 2024 Draft; a steal of a draft pick and a player who can compete for a roster spot the following season.
Eklund is ranked anywhere from second (among European skaters) to fourth (according to The Hockey News/Ferrari) and as low as 11th (according to Sportsnet/Cosentino). Most rankings have him ranked between fifth and 10th.
Final Thought
Eklund is a player that any team should covet having the opportunity to draft. With his skill set, he has the chance to do great things in the league if he can reach his ceiling. I genuinely have him pegged as a 40-goal scorer. It comes down to two things: his shot and his willingness to work the dirty areas.
If he went sixth overall, not one part of me would be surprised. However, I would be surprised if he fell outside of the top 10, but I have no reason to believe that’ll happen. A potential superstar, I would compare him to Jesper Bratt, one of the most underrated elite-level players in the league, and his brother, William Eklund, who is coming off a career season and is poised to become a superstar in this league.
If it were up to you and Eklund was available at the ninth overall pick, would you decide to draft him? Let me know in the comments below!
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