The Islanders don’t want to rush their prospects, and as underwhelming as this offseason was, they will head into training camp about a month from now with a depth chart Victor Eklund will need to earn his way up.
This probably did not play into the rationale for keeping around Ondrej Palat, Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall — if so, it was a very small piece of the puzzle. But it is a good situation for Eklund’s development.
The Islanders’ depth chart on the wings ensures a competitive training camp in which Eklund will not be given a spot by default. It is also highly likely that, if Eklund isn’t part of the roster Sept. 29 in Toronto, circumstances will conspire to get him a chance sooner rather than later.
This is not a redux of Matthew Schaefer, who walked into the NHL like he was armed with a machine gun against machetes. Almost nothing is. The 19-year-old Eklund, who played most of last season with Djurgårdens, his hometown SHL club, will occupy a similar role in the upcoming training camp as Cal Ritchie did a year ago.
Ritchie, recall, came into camp as the obvious 24th man on an eventual 23-man roster. He excelled throughout and made it obvious he would be in the NHL sooner rather than later before a minor injury spared the Islanders from making what would have been an incredibly tough, albeit inevitable, decision to send him to Bridgeport. He ultimately played one game in the AHL before being promoted, and spent the season with the Islanders.
Should Eklund follow a similar path, his 2026-27 season would be a rousing success.
“I think the question is not if he’s going to be able to play in the NHL. The question is how much can you get out from him to his maximum, if you know what I mean,” Michael Holmqvist, a Djurgårdens assistant coach and Eklund family friend, told The Post on Sunday, “because I think a lot of players can survive playing and doing the job, getting the pucks out, getting the pucks deep and stuff like that and be an energy guy. But I think there’s a lot more to Vic than just being that.
“So the question for me is, what’s the best thing for him to do right now? Is it to work himself into the NHL right away and trust the process, stuff like that? Or get more time practicing his offensive game. I think that’s the question for the Islanders.”
Eklund, along with Anton Frondell, Viggo Björck and fellow Islanders prospect Calle Odelius, has been practicing with Djurgårdens recently as SHL training camp has picked up. He’s put on a few pounds of muscle, and that will need to continue being a theme as he grows.
Even with a wiry frame, 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he has a terrific reputation for winning puck battles and one-on-ones along the boards. There is some question whether he’ll need more muscle for it to translate to the NHL, but, Holmqvist said, he wondered the same when Eklund went from the Allsvenskan — Sweden’s second division — to the SHL, only for his compete level to keep shining through.
Eventually, that relentlessness could translate into Eklund being an effective net-front player, something the Islanders desperately need with Anders Lee’s exit. There is still, though, a long way to go.
“I talked about that three days ago with him,” Holmqvist said. “Because we talked about it last year to find that spot and that’s probably where he’s going to find most of his goals and points. So he’s aware of it, but he needs someone to be there every day and remind, remind, remind..”
What the finished product looks like is a question that won’t be answered this year. For an Islanders club in transition, that’s perfectly fine. They have the luxury of being able to cater to what’s best for their prospects. As for what that is?
“I think the next couple months will tell,” Holmqvist said.
