Eklund focused on becoming ‘that guy’ in AHL after demotion originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
“They want me to play a lot of minutes and be that guy.”
In William Eklund’s own words, that’s why the San Jose Sharks sent him down.
In the last three years, 29 players, including Eklund, have made their NHL debuts with the Sharks. Most assuredly, the lot of them, including Eklund last year, weren’t “that guy” wherever they were coming from.
And that might be why only one of those 29, Mario Ferraro, is considered a bona fide NHL player today. Noah Gregor and Nikolai Knyzhov are in that conversation as well, but it’s a really short list.
But things are different under new San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier, who has put a greater emphasis, at the outset of his tenure, on NHL playing time being earned. Dominate the AHL, and maybe then, we’ll talk NHL.
