Victor Eklund earned a spot on the New York Islanders’ opening roster, a development even the player himself found surprising. After entering training camp as an underdog, Eklund’s consistent play and the vacancy created by Mat Barzal’s injury solidified his place on the team. The Islanders began their season on Wednesday in Toronto, falling 2-1 to the Maple Leafs, with Eklund making his first significant NHL appearance.

Eklund logged 11 minutes and 38 seconds of ice time in the game, marking a notable step from his limited debut last year in a non-competitive outing. Toronto’s coach, Jim Hiller, matched his top offensive line—featuring Auston Matthews, Kirill Marchenko, and Jack Roslovic—against Eklund’s line, providing the rookie with a challenging assignment. While he appeared tentative at times, Eklund showed improvement as the game progressed. Islanders coach Pete DeBoer acknowledged Eklund’s growing confidence and offensive opportunities, including chances to score, though the rookie sat out the final seven and a half minutes as the coach shortened the bench.

Eklund described the moment of learning he would remain with the Islanders as both surprising and rewarding. “It was kind of a shock,” he said, noting he focused on performing his best daily without assuming his spot was guaranteed.

The roster change was influenced by the ongoing recovery of Mat Barzal, who is sidelined with a left kneecap injury. General manager Mathieu Darche commented that Barzal has made significant progress but that the player’s return-to-skate timeline has shifted backward from initial expectations. Barzal is anticipated to resume skating early next week at the latest, provided there is no inflammation in his knee—a key factor in determining his readiness to rejoin the lineup.

Darche described finalizing Eklund’s roster placement as “the obvious thing to do,” underscoring the player’s strong preseason performance and potential contribution during Barzal’s absence.

In related team developments, Long Island resident Nick Leopard, founder and CEO of Accordion, a firm specializing in artificial intelligence-driven financial consulting, has emerged as the lead investor in a group that recently acquired a 15 percent ownership stake in the Islanders.