LA Kings: First round targets if NHL Draft started today, Part III

Scouting Report

"December 2020 – Originally expected to be a big part of the Swedish World Juniors team, Eklund tested positive and was sent home. He almost immediately tested negative and was back on Djurgården’s top line a couple of days later. Eklund is a late-2002 birthday so he is a bit older than the majority of the draft class but his performance so far this year leaves nothing to be desired. His 14 points in 19 games in the SHL so far rank up there with the likes of the Sedin twins and Peter Forsberg for production at this age. While he may not possess the upside that those players have in terms of being borderline generational players and certainly franchise players, Eklund should be a difference-maker at the NHL level. His play has elevated the play of 2020 seventh overall pick at times this year, proving that he is doing far more than riding passenger with a veteran and a top prospect. Eklund has the shooting ability to be a legitimate goal-scoring threat as well as the creativity and playmaking talent to be the facilitator. He plays with speed and pace, often overwhelming less talented defenders with his persistence and desire to play in the middle of the ice and around the net. He finds himself space with good body positioning and the ability to bounce off defenders. He battles hard down low and doesn’t give up on plays often, making him a hassle on nearly every shift. With his World Juniors taken by COVID-19, he won’t get the chance to shine amongst the top junior talent in the world but his play in his home nation in arguably a top-three league in the world should be more than enough to entice NHL teams to call his name early in the 2021 NHL Draft in July. Dobber Prospects/Ferrari"

Production

• 19-20: 12G, 24A, 22 PIM, +16 in 31 games for Djurgårdens IF J20
• 19-20: 1G, 4A, 2 PIM, +3 in 5 games for Sweden U18 in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
• 2021: 11G, 12A, 2 PIM, -2 for Djurgårdens
• 2021: 1G, 1A, 2 PIM, +2 for Djurgårdens (Playoffs)