2021 NHL Draft
William Eklund in the 2021 NHL Draft
San Jose Sharks selected William Eklund 7th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.
He was the second of the 23 Swedes selected that year. It was the first of the 9 picks San Jose Sharks made in the draft. Of the 223 players selected in 2021, 72 have played in the NHL regular season. Only 7 of them have played more games than his 256, and only 5 have scored more points than his 165.
- Overall pick
- 7
- Round and pick
- Round 1, pick 7
- Drafting team
- SJSSan Jose Sharks
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 18 years
The picks around it
Picks 4–10 in the 2021 draft
- 4Luke HughesD239 GP · 138 PNJDNew Jersey Devils
- 5Kent JohnsonC289 GP · 153 PCBJColumbus Blue Jackets
- 6Simon EdvinssonD175 GP · 60 PDETDetroit Red Wings
- 7William EklundL256 GP · 165 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 8Brandt ClarkeD199 GP · 92 PLAKLos Angeles Kings
- 9Dylan GuentherR244 GP · 195 PARIArizona Coyotes
- 10Tyler BoucherROTTOttawa Senators
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 2021 class
2nd
of 23 Swedes selected
4th
of 121 forwards selected
Counted in draft order across the whole draft. The position is the one listed at the draft.
First Swedes selected
- 6Simon EdvinssonD175 GP · 60 PDETDetroit Red Wings
- 7William EklundL256 GP · 165 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 14Isak RosénR68 GP · 13 PBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 20Jesper WallstedtG56 GP · 30 WMINMinnesota Wild
- 21Fabian LysellR12 GP · 3 PBOSBoston Bruins
- 28Oskar OlaussonR4 GP · 0 PCOLColorado Avalanche
- 45William StrömgrenL6 GP · 2 PCGYCalgary Flames
- 71Simon RobertssonRSTLSt. Louis Blues
- 72Anton OlssonDNSHNashville Predators
- 74Oliver JohanssonLOTTOttawa Senators
+ 13 more
After the draft
The road to the NHL
William Eklund made his NHL debut on October 16, 2021, 85 days after the draft.
256
Games
51
Goals
114
Assists
165
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
San Jose Sharks picks in the 2021 draft
- 7William EklundL256 GP · 165 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 81Benjamin GaudreauGSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 103Gannon LaroqueDSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 121Ethan CardwellR13 GP · 2 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 135Artem GuryevDSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 156Max McCueCSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 167Liam GilmartinLSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 177Theo JacobssonCSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 199Evgenii KashnikovDSJSSan Jose Sharks