While quite a few of the young San Jose Sharks players were taking major steps forward, William Eklund struggled at times during the 2025-26 season. He had a few long goal-droughts and he seemed snake-bitten for large portions of the season. 

Despite generating quite a few chances and shooting the puck at a higher rate than ever, all of Eklund's major counting stats took a step in the wrong direction. With that being said, he's still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to bounce back. 

Games Played - 78 - Eklund fell two games shy of hitting the 80-game plateau for the second time in his career. 78 is still the second-highest total of his career.

Goals - 15 - 15 is the lowest number of goals that Eklund has recorded since becoming a full-time NHL player, but not by much. In 2023-24 and 2024-25, he scored 16 and 17 goals respectively. 

Assists - 38 -  The second most on the San Jose Sharks, trailing just Macklin Celebrini. 38 is the second-most assists in a season for Eklund. 

Points - 53 - Eklund finished the season with the fourth-most points on the Sharks. He was five points short of tying his career-high of 58 points, which he recorded last season.

Shots - 176 - The most shots of Eklund's career. He broke his previous career-high by 25 shots. 

Shooting Percentage - 8.5% - Despite taking more shots than ever before, Eklund's shooting percentage dropped drastically. He was snake-bitten for a long portion of the season and had a 19-game goal-less drought shortly after the New Year. 

Time on Ice - 18:32 - This season, Eklund had the lowest ice time of his career since becoming a full-time NHL player.

Game-Winning Goals - 1 - The lowest total of Eklund's career. His only game-winning goal came in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings on January 7.

Plus/Minus - -31 - The second-worst of his career.

Giveaways - 66 - The second-most of his career, but he recorded nine less giveaways than the prior season.

Takeaways - 18 -  Once again, the second-most of his career. He had three more takeaways than in 2024-25. 

Hits - 72 - A new career high for Eklund.

Penalties Drawn - 24 - Another new career high. 

Hardest Shot - 89.26 MPH - Eklund's hardest shot dropped four miles per hour compared to the prior season, despite the drop, he still placed in the 79th percentile. 

Max Skating Speed - 22.31 MPH -  Eklund's max skating speed dropped very slightly from the prior season, but was within the same ballpark. He placed in 53rd percentile.

Total Miles Skated - 229.53 - Eklund placed in the 90th percentile for total skating distance, staying on par with previous seasons. 

While this season won't be remembered as one of the best of his career, Eklund improved in some areas despite offensive struggles. Given his age, it's safe to say that the Sharks can expect him to bounce back for the 2026-27 season.