New York Islanders top forward prospect Victor Eklund will not be playing for Team Sweden at the 2026 World Championships, per industry sources.
The 19-year-old represented his country at the 2025 and 2026 World Junior Championships.
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After the Islanders selected Eklund 16th overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, he’s had a long, grinding season.
He attended the development camp a few days after the draft, then returned to Sweden to prepare for his first SHL season with Djurgården, which had earned promotion from Sweden’s second-tier league.
After playing 43 regular-season games (six goals, 18 assists) and another eight playoff games (three assists), Eklund elected to come over to North America to join the Bridgeport Islanders during their playoff push.
He recorded nine points (two goals, seven assists) through his first seven AHL games, earning himself an NHL call-up for the Islanders’ regular-season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes.
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Despite a 4-1 loss, Eklund recorded his first career NHL point, a secondary assist on a Bo Horvat goal.
The next day, Eklund was sent back to Bridgeport, adding a goal over his final two AHL regular-season games before going pointless in their two-game playoff series against the Hershey Bears.
Given what Eklund showed, he’ll have a strong chance to crack the Islanders’ roster for the 2026-27 season.
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