Reunited in Ottawa after tough 2025 trade separation, can the William Eklund-Fabian Zetterlund bromance translate to on-ice success in Ottawa?
When it comes to his line combinations, Senators head coach Travis Green loves to tinker. Even a line combo that might be rolling might get broken up to give a boost to other players who are struggling.
But even knowing that, it would still be shocking if Green doesn’t eventually take his new San Jose combo out for spin.
Former Sharks wingers (and best friends) William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund are now teammates again in Ottawa, and it will be interesting to see if the Senators plan to make their reunion more than just sentimental journey.
Zetterlund was traded from the Sharks to Ottawa at the 2025 trade deadline. When he was later asked what he missed most about San Jose, his response was immediate.
“Eklund.”
The feeling was clearly mutual.
Eklund initially declined to speak publicly after San Jose traded his best friend. Sitting in his stall with his hoodie pulled up over his ball cap, he addressed reporters two days later and struggled to hold back the tears.
“He’s family for me. His family is my family. We hang out. We have Christmas together,” Eklund said. “That’s one of the toughest days of my life.
“Everybody loved him. A great guy to all the teammates, all the coaches, all the staff, everybody around the team. Looks like you guys too. He was always a great guy, I know that. That’s who he is.”
Fifteen months later, the friends were reunited. Ottawa used the ninth-overall pick acquired from Florida in the Brady Tkachuk trade to land Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and the rights to Brandon Svoboda from San Jose.
The Senators acquired Eklund primarily because he's a skilled 23-year-old top-six winger under contract through 2028-29, not because he’s tight with Zetterlund. But it’s fair to wonder if their bond might make them a good choice as linemates.
The Sens need someone to step up into their top six anyway, and they’d probably like to see if Zetterlund can produce more if he’s given more ice time and offensive opportunity.
Zetterlund finished ninth in average time on ice among Sens forwards in 2025-26 at 14:18 and still finished sixth in team goal scoring with 17.
His $4.275-million cap hit is hardly disastrous, particularly as the NHL cap goes bananas, but the Senators were likely hoping for something closer to the 24-goal, 44-point production he delivered with San Jose in 2023-24.
If reuniting him with Eklund could help Zetterlund rediscover some of that offence, that’s more than worth a look. Seeing how it looks should be an early priority, and it could also make Eklund’s transition after the first trade of his career considerably easier.
How Green backfills his top six will be one of the compelling storylines to start the year.
If pairing Zetterlund and Eklund is the answer, Green might have a productive top-six duo with complementary skills and ready-made trust. If they're just okay and not as good a fit on the ice as they are off it, Green won’t spend a second letting sentimentality outweigh what’s best for his lineup.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
- Sens Nation Podcast: Who Gets The C?
- Ranking The Best Five Ottawa-Born Senators
- Sens Rewind: 15 Years Later, A Look Back At The Senators' Rebuild That Wasn't
- Former Senator Chris Neil On Tkachuk Joining Florida: 'Is He Even In Their Top Six?'
- Looking Back At One Of The Wildest Playoff Games In Senators History
