Victor Eklund Makes Islanders NHL Debut in Season Opener Against Leafs

Islanders rookie Victor Eklund made his meaningful NHL debut in a 2-1 season-opening loss to the Maple Leafs on Sept. 30, 2026. Eklund skated 11:38, facing Toronto's top line of Auston Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, and Jack Roslovic. Although he sat the final 7:34 as coach Pete DeBoer shortened his bench, DeBoer praised the rookie's performance, stating he improved as the game went on and created a couple of scoring looks.