NHL trade grades: Senators add Eklund as Tkachuk replacement, Sharks get another top-10 pick

Key Points:

• The Ottawa Senators acquired forwards William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and the rights to Brandon Svoboda in exchange for the San Jose Sharks' No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, addressing their forward needs but facing a notable drop-off from Brady Tkachuk.
• William Eklund is a dynamic, creative playmaker with strong skating and small-area skills, projecting as a likely second-line wing, while Halttunen is a big, powerful bottom-six winger with inconsistent compete, and Svoboda offers NHL-level athleticism and defensive value despite limited offensive production.
• The San Jose Sharks secured the valuable No. 9 pick, expected to yield a top defenseman prospect in the 2026 draft, allowing them to leverage their depth at wing to strengthen their defense pipeline, an impressive move by GM Mike Grier.
• Analysts grade the Sharks' side of the trade as an A for strategic asset management and roster balance, while the Senators receive a B, marking a solid but challenging step in their rebuild and forward retooling.
• The trade reflects Ottawa's urgency to retool their forward group quickly post-Tkachuk, while San Jose prioritizes best-player-available drafting and accumulating assets to accelerate their rebuild.