Victor Eklund is having quite a season. The 18-year-old left winger had 14 points in his first 18 games for Djurgården in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, and is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Through 18 games, the 5-foot-11, 161-pound Eklund had two penalty minutes this season. On Thursday night, Djurgården’s 19th of the season, Eklund recorded another assist, his 15th point, in a 5-1 win over Västerås. But with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, Eklund led a rush into the Västerås zone and was angled into the corner by Jimmie Janson Lorek, who tried to hit him. Anticipating the hit, Eklund caught Lorek in the face with an elbow and was assessed a match penalty.

The incident occurs near the end of the video below, but it unfortunately cuts off before a close-up replay can be seen.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Yr8DyDkaI[/embed]

Although most seem to agree with the penalty, few seem to want to criticize Eklund too harshly – even Lorek himself – with some commentators even glad to see a physical side to the youngster’s game emerging.

“Now understand me correctly when I say this,” TV4 analyst Fredrik Söderström said on the air, as reported by HockeyNews.se. “Of course you can’t do that, and he has to be ejected for it. But this also tells me that Eklund has gone from being a little junior who’s coming up and is beautiful and elegant. I think he’s now doing things with more power and strength. Having said that, I hope all goes well for Jimmie Jansson Lorek and (Eklund) gets appropriately punished.”

“I don’t want to say anything,” was reportedly Eklund’s post-game response to reporters.

“I was just closing in on him and then he put an offensive hit on me,” said Lorek, who drew blood from the elbow and can be seen doubling over in the video, but later returned to action. “I think he was the one I hit in the first (period) so maybe he wanted to get me back, which is quite alright.”

“I probably need to see it again to be able to express myself,” said Djurgården coach Robert Kimby. “I don’t know. I think it is difficult to assess because I don’t know what Victor should do in that situation. He has to be allowed to protect himself but they’re saying he got him in the head and we don’t want that. But I haven’t had time to see it again so it’s only spontaneous at first reaction.”

If this is a sign that the immensely talented Eklund – the younger brother of similarly-built San Jose Sharks’ William Eklund – is playing with more of an edge and getting physically stronger, it can only enhance his draft stock if he can keep his physical play within the rules.

On Friday, it was confirmed that Eklund will not be punished further for the hit. Djurgården’s next game is Friday on the road against IF Björklöven.

Eklund is expected to play for Sweden at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.