Senators' Eklund out for 'extended' period with ankle injury

Why Eklund is trending

Senators coach Travis Green said Friday that winger William Eklund is out for an "extended" period with an ankle injury. That one word, extended, is doing most of the work here, and it's why Eklund's name is suddenly everywhere in search. Green did not attach a number of weeks or games to the timeline, and for a team only four games into its season, that open-ended answer is the headline for now.

Here is what is known. Eklund got hurt in Ottawa's 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Thursday night, leaving the game after taking a hit from Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit. Here is what is not known. Green gave no specific return date. What he did offer is that he does not think Eklund will need surgery, and that he expects the winger back on the ice before the season is over.

The hit that knocked him out

The injury happened during Thursday's home game against Philadelphia, which Ottawa won 2-1. Eklund left after taking the hit from Benoit and did not return to the ice. The Senators closed out the win without him, pushing their record to 3-1-0 to open the season. It's the kind of play that ends an injury-free start to a year in a single shift.

What Green said about it

Green did not get into medical specifics when asked about Eklund on Friday. "We don't really talk about the guys who are out," he said. Instead, he pointed to the players who are actually in the lineup, saying Ottawa has dealt with injuries before and can keep winning games while shorthanded. "It's as simple as that," Green said. It's a standard coach-speak deflection, but it's also the only real read we have on how worried the Senators actually are.

Eklund's season so far, and who else is banged up

Eklund is 23, a Swede, and still new to Ottawa. The Senators acquired him in June in a trade that sent the ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft to San Jose. Through four games this season before the injury, he had put up a goal and an assist, a small but promising start to his time with the club.

He is not the only Senator working his way back into the lineup. Green said defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are both expected to rejoin the team within the next few days. For a club that is 3-1-0 and leaning on the idea that it's deep enough to absorb injuries, those two returns are arguably bigger news right now than anything about Eklund's ankle.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.