From Islanders Debut To Bridgeport: 5 Takeaways On Victor Eklund’s Game
Victor Eklund turned his Islanders debut into a statement—and carried it into Bridgeport. Here are five takeaways from his NHL debut and AHL follow-up.
On Tuesday night, New York Islanders top forward prospect Victor Eklund turned a meaningless game into one worth tuning in for.
The 19-year-old, selected 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut—and didn’t disappoint.
Skating on the top line alongside Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom, while also getting immediate run on the top power-play unit, Eklund made an impression.
He recorded his first NHL point, picking up the secondary assist on Horvat’s goal at 13:14 of the second period. He finished with one assist, two shots, two hits, and no turnovers in 15:30 of ice time.
“I had the best time of my life,” Eklund said. “It was so much fun. Obviously, a really good league, the hardest out there, and I think it went pretty well.”
A day later, he was back in Bridgeport—and picked up right where he left off.
Eklund got the goal party started, lighting the lamp just 2:44 into the first period on the power play in what became a 5–2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.
I took some notes after his NHL debut, but I also wanted to see how he’d respond back in the AHL after getting that first taste.
Here are my notes on what makes Eklund so effective: