The NY Islanders select Victor Eklund 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft

After trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for picks No. 16, 17, and Emil Heineman in the 2025 NHL Draft, the NY Islanders selected Victor Eklund with pick No. 16.

Drafted out of Djurgardens in Sweden, Eklund is a 5'11" winger who makes up for his lack of size with his tenacity, with shades of Travis Konecny and Seth Jarvis. Eklund is known for getting involved on the forecheck, relentless in puck retrieval, and is ranked the second-best motor in this year's draft by Elite Prospects.

The NY Islanders take Victor Eklund

Arguably, his best asset is his ability to get in on the forecheck. Eklund is a fantastic skater who is clever with the puck. He's the type of player who makes playing defense difficult, using fake passes and finding passing lanes while keeping his head up and using his eyes to deceive the opposition.

Playing with Djurgardens last season in the Hockey Allsvenskan, Eklund recorded 31 points (19 G, 12 A) in the second tier of Swedish hockey.

His brother William was taken seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2021, and while their styles are a bit different, both have tremendous upside.

Eklund began the season as the top international player but was surpassed by teammate Anton Frondell, who went third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite dropping in the rankings, Eklund was still highly regarded by many scouting outlets, ranked sixth by FC Hockey and ninth by Elite Prospects.

There's still some disappointment in not landing James Hagens, but Islanders fans shouldn't scoff at the arrival of Eklund. Mathieu Darche made a quality pick, getting him midway through the first round as he can become a big asset to the Islanders in the future.