Training Camp (9/18): William Eklund

Training Camp (9/18): William Eklund

William, first things first, just wrist injury. I mean, completely passed. You feel you’re at 100%. No limitations right now. Yeah, I feel good. Was it kind of weird? I mean, that happened in such a fluke accident. I mean, how much did that maybe kind of derail your your summer training a little bit or did you feel like you were kind of able to get back on schedule where you wanted to be before today? Yeah, you know, obviously going through injury like that comes out of nowhere. You don’t really know how to plan after it. And but I think I got pretty good rehab in and I, you know, I got to skate as much I could. felt pretty good all around. What do you think of just the pace of today’s camp? Obviously with with a lot of new faces, obviously Michael is out there. What what did you see from him and maybe some of the other guys in your group? Really good. You know, M is obvious obviously a great player. You know, I think I think our lineup is really pretty good out there and I felt they’re they’re really skilled. So, was a good pace today. I think everybody bought in and you know, we just got to keep going like this. What are your thoughts of Jes? Really good player. You know, you’re very strong on the puck. I haven’t seen him that much before, but this is probably the first time I see him like this. But, you know, obviously he’s a he’s a big body and he he’s strong in the puck, so he’s been there. With your wrist surgery, how much did that sort of um I don’t know, derail or or delay your ability to train fully this off season? Like, how many weeks or month until you could uh get into it? I don’t have a specific weeks or months actually. Uh I don’t know. I I just felt good when I felt good. I don’t know exactly when I was back and stuff like that, but it’s it’s felt good when I when when I was back. Well, you said after the trade deadline last year that it’s it’s time to to start winning some games here and be competitive. I mean, how do you guys get there? I mean, what what’s the next step for this team in terms of climbing the standings, get a little bit more closer to a playoff spot? What’s what’s going to be the biggest key for this team? You know, I feel like I I can say things here that I say every time. And for me, it’s just, you know, we got to start doing the things we talk about. We we talk about how we want to be a competitive team, how we want to be a winning team. And, you know, everybody needs to buy in, including myself. I need to be boy better this year. Uh, you know, and that’s that’s that’s the the thing we’re going to need in this group every day. So, yeah, we got to buy in everybody. Does that come more from the defensive side maybe more than anything, being a harder team to play against, checking that kind of thing? Yeah. Yeah. And also close in those games that we we’ve been close to winning. You know, it’s a lot of games that we were were in last year that we we need to turn those win into wins. So, uh yeah, all around we we need to be better this year. What kind of we think that might the career the the moves that Mike Greer, you know, made the offseason here? Yeah, great. Obviously, we brought in some good veteran presidents and, you know, obviously drafted really good. So, uh, yeah, you know, it’s going to be fun to see here what everybody brings with yourself signing that extension at the start of the summer here and how much is there, you know, there’s times around leagues and all professional sports where guys try to play up and prove they’re worth that contract. How do you kind of just maybe block out like I signed this, I need to know more and just kind of play your game and do what you’re saying, like try to be better and things like that? Yeah, I know what makes me a good hockey player. I know what, you know, will make me successful here. And I’m just trying to, you know, be even better and be even better for my teammates and be be better in different areas of the game and defensively areas and PK and P play, whatever they need me to do. I’m just trying to bring that every day. I think it’s only your third or fourth year pro. You’re already one of the longest tenure sharks on their roster here. How how do you want to grow this season in terms of your game and maybe your even new leadership within the group here? Yeah, I think I, you know, I want to be more and more a leader. I sort of think I said that a little bit more last year, but this year I want to be more and more a leader and, you know, might not be the most vocal guy in the locker room, but also on the ice. I want to be, you know, a guy that could count every night, even if you have a dumb night or something, you you always bring 100% to the game and, you know, you try to bring a great effort every night. Would it nice to have a captain in the room this year? I don’t know. That’s it’s not up to me. So you got to top with some other guys with

Sharks Forward William Eklund answers questions from the media at training camp on September 18, 2025