The Ottawa Senators used some of the draft capital acquired in the Brady Tkachuk trade to add forward William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks — but the Swede will be out of action long-term after suffering an ankle injury Thursday night.

The 23-year-old fell awkwardly into the boards after being hit by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit during a 2-1 victory at Canadian Tire Centre. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg and headed right down the tunnel following the play.

Head coach Travis Green said Eklund will be out for an extended period, but he is not expected to need surgery and should return at some point during the 2026-27 regular season.

“I don't know exactly how long,” Green told reporters, including NHL.com's Zoe Pierce.

It's a brutal blow for a Senators team already looking to replace the offense Tkachuk provided throughout his tenure in Canada's capital.

Eklund, who was selected seventh overall by the Sharks in the 2021 NHL Draft, put together two consecutive strong seasons in California. He scored 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games in 2024-25, then followed that up with 15 goals and 53 points in 78 contests last season.

The left-shot winger recorded two points in four games before the injury. Overall, he's amassed 165 points in 256 regular-season games split between the Sharks and Senators.

Eklund was traded to Ottawa on June 23, acquired along with Kasper Halttunen and the rights to forward prospect Brandon Svoboda for the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

That selection originally went to the Senators as part of the package the Florida Panthers put together to acquire Tkachuk on June 21.

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It'll be a next-man-up mentality for Green's club, which is off to a strong 3-1-0 start through four games despite missing star defenseman Jake Sanderson.

Still, things will get more difficult without Eklund, who was skating on the top line with Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson before the injury.

Sanderson is expected to join the team sometime in the next few days, although he does not have a firm return date. Forward Andre Burakovsky could be an option against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Puck drop for that tilt is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.