San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner referenced many of the team’s young core, including William Eklund.
Platter didn’t sugarcoat it. Eklund took a big step forward in his development last season. But for the Sharks owner, he knows there’s an even higher level the winger can get to.
While speaking to fans outside SAP Center, Plattner said Eklund is the oldest of the core.
“Young Eklund is the oldest one at 22,” Plattner said. “I believe that is a very good start, and the experts say now that San Jose has the best potential team.”
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SHD spoke with Eklund after practice on Friday. The Sharks winger said he hadn’t seen Plattner’s comments about him and the other top young players on the team.
“Coming from the owner, it’s big,” Eklund said. “We all want to turn things around here. We’ve been saying it for a long time. He wants that too. He wants to see us succeed, and that means a lot that we were a part of it.”
Eklund signed a three-year $16.8 million contract extension over the summer, a move that would have required Plattner’s approval, given his role in signing the checks. Eklund knows that he must turn the Sharks’ commitment into performance on the ice.
“I’m gonna try. I’ve got expectations for myself too. It goes both ways,” Eklund said. “I’m just trying to be here and get better every day. It’s an honor that he thinks that of me.”
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The San Jose Sharks winger had one assist in the Sharks’ heartbreaking loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
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