Sharks’ top prospect has shoulder surgery; how long might recovery take?
Forward William Eklund will miss the rest of the season after he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, the San Jose Sharks announced Friday.
Eklund, 20, had the surgery Thursday in San Jose. The Sharks did not give a timeline for when Eklund, a left-handed shot, might be able to play again, but said he is expected to be ready for the team’s next training camp in September.
Eklund, the Sharks’ top forward prospect, sustained the injury in the San Jose Barracuda’s game with the Colorado Eagles on March 22.
Eklund was injured in the second period when he fell to the ice in an awkward fashion following a puck battle with Colorado’s Nate Clurman. Eklund then slowly skated to the Barracuda’s bench, holding his arm, and did not return to the game.
Eklund played most of the season in the AHL but was recalled to the Sharks in early March and had three points in eight games. Eklund was officially returned to the AHL four days before his injury.
Eklund was returned to the AHL in part because had he played a 10th NHL game this season, the first year of his three-year entry-level contract would have kicked in, and expired after the 2024-25 season.
Now, the first year of Eklund’s contract will start next season, when Eklund could become a full-time NHL player, and expire after the 2025-26 season.
Eklund’s injury took place in his second game back in the AHL after his reassignment.
Eklund, who was drafted seventh overall by the Sharks in 2021, had 41 points in 57 games for the Barracuda this season. The team’s leading scorer, Andrew Agozzino, was just returned to the AHL on Thursday after he had three points in four games with the Sharks.
Two NHL players in recent years needed several months to return to game action after they had torn labrums, although one came back earlier than expected.
Max Domi, then of the Columbus Blue Jackets, returned to play in October 2021 just four months after he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale, though, tore the labrum in his left shoulder in late October. The Ducks announced then that injuries of that nature usually require a four-to-six-month rehabilitation, but Drysdale will likely not play again this season.
The Barracuda (27-32-1-4) are trying to secure a spot in the playoffs, as it entered Friday in eighth place in the AHL’s Pacific Division with 59 points, seven points back of both Tucson and Bakersfield with eight regular season games remaining. The top seven teams in the Pacific Division make the postseason.
The Barracuda’s next games are tonight and Saturday on the road against the Texas Stars.
The Sharks’ next game is Saturday in Arizona. Earlier Friday, the Sharks announced that forward Martin Kaut had been returned to the Barracuda. Kaut had two goals and two assists in five games since his recall on March 18.