Victor Eklund Surprises Even Himself by Making Islanders Roster
TORONTO — Perhaps the most astonished individual to discover he’d secured a spot on the Islanders roster was Victor Eklund himself.
Even as the preseason progressed and it became somewhat known that he had made the team, Eklund remained grounded about it. So, when he was informed he’d be part of the Islanders for their season opener against the Leafs in Toronto, ending in a 2-1 loss, it truly hit him what he had achieved.
“It was kind of a shock,” Eklund remarked. “I just tried to play to my best every day. I didn’t feel like I was safe at any time.”
This is quite ironic, considering that just before this conversation, general manager Mathieu Darche referred to Eklund’s selection as an obvious decision.
Initially viewed as an underdog entering camp, by the end, Eklund’s performance made his inclusion seem inevitable. His abilities, combined with a gap left by Mat Barzal’s injury, led to this outcome.
In his first real NHL minutes—his debut had been in a meaningless final game last year—Eklund logged 11:38 on the ice. He faced some real pressure immediately, being matched up against Toronto’s top line featuring Auston Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, and Jack Roslovic.
As expected, this scenario took a toll on him at first, leading to Eklund sitting out the last 7:34 of the game as coach Pete DeBoer tightened his rotation. Nevertheless, the Islanders’ coach praised the rookie’s performance.
“I thought he got better as the game went on,” DeBoer noted. “He had a couple looks too. He could’ve scored. I had no problem with his game at all.”
On another note, Mat Barzal, recovering from a left kneecap injury, is reportedly making “really, really good progress,” according to general manager Mathieu Darche. He is expected to start skating “early next week at the latest.”
Darche mentioned that the Islanders have slightly adjusted their original timeline for Barzal’s return to skating but remain optimistic about the situation. Once Barzal begins his skating, the focus will shift to ensuring his knee is free from inflammation before moving ahead.
In a different development, Long Island resident Nick Leopard, CEO of Accordion—a financial consulting firm specializing in AI—has become the lead investor in a group that purchased a 15 percent stake in the Islanders. This information was confirmed by The Post.
Leopard’s identity was first reported by Sports Business Journal, which also indicated that both he and David Shuman, who was announced as having a minority stake with the Islanders in late August, have received approval from the NHL.
