Ottawa Senators forward William Eklund is expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his ankle, removing a productive top-six option from the lineup early in the season.
Eklund was injured in the opening period of Ottawa’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 8. He was driven awkwardly into the boards by Philadelphia defenseman Simon Benoit and could not put weight on his left leg while making his way to the dressing room. The 23-year-old did not return to the game.
Coach Travis Green initially described the absence as an extended one, while indicating Eklund was still expected back before the regular season ends. The surgery timeline supports that outlook, though the Senators will need to navigate much of the next three months without him.
Strong opening cut short
Eklund had one goal and one assist through four games for Ottawa. He arrived after a busy June sequence that reshaped the Senators’ roster.
Ottawa acquired Eklund from the San Jose Sharks on June 23 along with forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to prospect Brandon Svoboda. San Jose received the No. 9 selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, a pick Ottawa had obtained from the Florida Panthers two days earlier in the Brady Tkachuk trade.
The seventh overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Eklund has compiled 51 goals and 114 assists for 165 points in 256 NHL regular-season games between San Jose and Ottawa. He entered this season having posted at least 15 goals and 45 points in each of the previous three campaigns.
Zub set for return against Islanders
The Senators, off to a 5-2-0 start, host the New York Islanders at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with RDS, TSN5 and MSGSN carrying the game.
Defenseman Artem Zub is slated to make his season debut for Ottawa. He has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in Game 1 of last season’s Eastern Conference First Round against the Carolina Hurricanes.
