With Tomas Hertl injured, the San Jose Sharks are deploying William Eklund at center, the position he was drafted in.

With Tomas Hertl injured, the San Jose Sharks are deploying William Eklund at center, the position he was drafted in.

Eklund will center a line with Alexander Barabanov on his left and Anthony Duclair on his right. 

"Should be [a shifty line]," Quinn said. "We'll see how it goes."

Barabanov's play has slowly been building after being injured during much of the beginning of the season. He's been more confident with the puck on his stick and creating space for himself with his edgework. 

Duclair has had a down season, but his speed and shooting ability should help Eklund make a good outlet pass on the breakout.

Quinn spoke about why he thinks Eklund has all the tools to be a full-time center in the NHL.

"He's got good hockey strength. He's quick, which allows him to defend," Quinn explained. "One of the things about him is he's smart. Like I said, he's quick, so that gives him an opportunity to close up people quickly. Stay on the inside. Have a good stick. Get people turned around, [and then] we can get them some help. Those are the things that he's going to have to focus on."

Eklund has shown an ability to go behind the net and handle the puck with tight turns and strong board play. Although much smaller than Hertl, Eklund can create plays down low in the offensive zone. 

Defensively this season, Eklund has been sneaky good. He is not only holding his own at five-on-five, but he is creating turnovers.

His ability to hold his own defensively gives the Sharks hope that he could still be a full-time center in the NHL.

"I think a lot of that depends on where we're at as an organization," Quinn said about Eklund playing center full-time. "I think we have the flexibility with him to play him on the wing or in the middle right now. This will give us a little bit more of an evaluation of what he would look like as a center."

If Hertl is also out tomorrow, the Sharks will likely deploy Eklund down the middle again. He should remain a top penalty killer and on the first powerplay unit, even after Hertl's return to the lineup.

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