Ottawa Senators' William Eklund (centre) is helped off the ice after sustaining an injury against the Philadelphia Flyers during first period NHL action in Ottawa, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keito Newman

By The Canadian Press

Senators forward Eklund out for ‘extended’ period with ankle injury

Oct 9, 2026 | 11:14 AM

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators forward William Eklund will be out for an “extended” period of time with an ankle injury, head coach Travis Green said Friday.

Eklund left Ottawa’s 2-1 win over visiting Philadelphia on Thursday night after taking a hit from defenceman Simon Benoit.

The 23-year-old Swede has a goal and an assist in four games so far this season.

Green did not have a specific timeline for Eklund’s return, but said he expects the forward back this season and doesn’t think he needs surgery.

“We don’t really talk about the guys who are out,” Green said. “We worry about our own game. The guys who are playing.

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“I think we’re more than capable of winning games if we’ve got some players injured. We’ve done it before. It’s as simple as that.”

Losing a top-six forward for the foreseeable future is a blow for the Senators, who are off to a 3-1-0 start to sit among the leaders in the competitive Atlantic Division.

The Senators acquired Eklund in June for part of a package that sent the ninth pick in the 2026 NHL draft to San Jose.

Green added that injured defencemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub should rejoin the team “in the next few days.”

Ottawa returns to action Saturday night against the visiting Nashville Predators. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Senators forward Eklund out for ‘extended’ period with ankle injury

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