The Sharks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight versus New Jersey. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated forward William Eklund off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, blueliner Jake Walman has been placed on IR.
Eklund has been dealing with an upper-body injury sustained just before the holiday break. After a strong rookie year that saw him record 45 points in 80 games, the 22-year-old is on pace for a more productive campaign, notching seven goals and 20 assists through his first 36 appearances this season.
While it’s the fourth straight year in which Eklund has seen NHL action, his first two years didn’t see him burn a year of his entry-level deal since he played under ten games in each one. Accordingly, he’s signed through the 2025-26 campaign but will be extension-eligible this summer and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the two sides try to work out an early long-term deal.
As for Walman, he has been out with a lower-body injury that also occurred a little before the break. After being acquired in a salary cap dumping trade from Detroit, the 28-year-old has had a breakout year with the Sharks, recording five goals and 20 assists in 31 games while logging nearly 23 minutes a night of playing time. He leads all San Jose defenders in points with 25 while his ATOI leads all Sharks players.
Despite the IR placement, Walman may not be there for long. Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now notes that Walman skated before practice for the second straight day today, suggesting that he might not be too far from a return. San Jose is eligible to back-date the placement to December 22nd and if they do so, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.