Young Sharks stud done for the season after surgery

Eklund was injured in an AHL game on March 22 after a collision with Colorado Eagles player Nate Clurman. The 20-year-old prospect earned an eight-game call-up with the big team late in the season, scoring twice and adding an assist. Eklund had an excellent season in the AHL, recording 17 goals and 41 points in 54 games as a rookie.

The injury comes as a big loss for the Barracuda, who sit five points out of the playoffs with just eight games left in the season. Eklund was second in team scoring behind veteran Andrew Agozzino.

A smart forward who gives it his all every shift, Eklund has had his ups and downs during his short NHL career, but he is mostly looking like the talent the Sharks were hoping for when they selected him seventh overall out of the Swedish Hockey League. Considered one of the team’s top prospects, Eklund will look to crack the Sharks full-time next year. The team currently sits fourth in the race to land Connor Bedard, so Eklund could be joined by a high-profile rookie next season, too.

The Sharks are currently without forwards Oskar Lindblom, Andreas Johnsson, Alexander Barabnov, Evgeny Svechnikov and Jonah Gadjovich, as well as defenseman Matt Benning. San Jose was previously eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention, and sit 29th in the league with a 21-39-15 record and 57 points. They’re 2-5-3 over the past 10 games, but are riding a two-game winning streak.