Ivar Stenberg – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Ivar Stenberg

2025-26 Team: Frolunda HC (SHL)
Date of Birth: Sept. 30, 2007
Place of Birth: Stenungsund, SWE
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 183 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: LW/RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

It’s very rare to see an 18-year-old prospect keep up and thrive at one of the top senior levels in the world. All eyes have been on Ivar Stenberg to see how he would fare in the SHL and he excelled every step of the way, elevating his game throughout the season. In the process, he had one of the most impressive seasons by a draft-eligible player in that league in some time.

His 32 points in 41 games puts him in a tie for 37th overall in points with a 0.78 point per game pace. Compared to other draft-eligible players, he’s currently third all-time in scoring among skaters from the SHL, having a better draft season than other notable forwards like Nicklas Backstrom, Leo Carlsson and William Eklund. The only ones with better results were Henrik and Daniel Sedin (34 and 42 points respectively). 

Ivar Stenberg Team Sweden
Sweden forward Ivar Stenberg is all smiles after defeating Czechia in the final of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship (Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)

Stenberg has exemplified great smarts and skill. He’s a consistent factor offensively and maintained his dominance against senior competition that left everyone in awe. The way that he composes himself on the ice and plays at a high level every shift is remarkable. He never takes one off and is always competitive and displaying a pro work ethic. That mindset, drive and energy is what separates him from everyone else on the ice and this draft class as it can fast track him to the NHL.

Stenberg’s high IQ and awareness on both sides of the puck alone makes him worthy of a first overall pick. He finds the open ice very well, takes the time to quickly assess what he wants to do and swiftly attacks while making quick and smart decisions with the puck. He does a great job of putting himself in great spots to succeed for dangerous opportunities or set up plays. He might have an average frame at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he is extremely competitive in board battles, in the corners and does a great job to make chip and chase plays to quickly retrieve and regain puck possession. Without it, he’s quick to take time and space away from attackers and shows great compete in disrupting plays with his reach and separate players from the puck with his body positioning to regain possession.

Stenberg is a great skater with strong edgework and speed. He’s got great agility, especially when he builds up in the defensive end and gains that momentum through the neutral zone to attack head on. He’s deceptive with his movements and the combination of his strong puck handling and skills makes him very elusive and unpredictable. He works well through traffic and pushes to the middle intently as he can quickly locate his teammates to make quick passing plays and make highly skilled ones in small spaces. While he has great passing and playmaking vision, he has a dangerous shot as well, keeping his head up and picking corners with great accuracy.

Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide

There are very few flaws with Stenberg’s game, given how he’s adapting and playing at the senior level. If there’s to be any knit picking, there have been times where the consistency hasn’t been as strong and he needs to get up to speed. While he makes high-end plays, sometimes the simple ones can be effective for him given at how quick of a pace he can play and can fumble the puck at times. 

Again, that’s being over analytical for a player that has continued to adapt and dominate a pro game at such a young age.

Ivar Stenberg- NHL Draft Projection

Coming into the season, Stenberg was a guaranteed top-three prospect. As of now, it’s a close battle between him and Gavin McKenna for first overall. While you can’t deny McKenna’s elite skill, playmaking and improvement in other areas of his game, Stenberg’s consistency, overall play and ability to handle his own in physical engagements puts him up there in those categories. What he has done this season against senior competition can’t be overlooked and everything he does is translatable in order for him to get to the NHL sooner than later.

Quotables

“He is equally a scorer and playmaker and can do both in a multitude of ways. He plays with intensity and displayed above average compete level in the SHL last season. Stenberg’s skill and hands are near the top of the draft class and can make opposing players look foolish with both subtle feints and spectacular dekes.” – Jordan Harris, Dobber Prospects 

“His vision is elite, as is the rate at which he’s able to process his options on the ice, finding opportunities before his opponents have a clue what’s going on. He’s got quick hands to pair with his quick mind, and he’s an excellent skater.” – Hannah Stuart, Bleacher Report 

“When he’s not finding the scoresheet, he’s been a very smart off-puck player who is putting in the work at both ends of the ice. He is a very agile skater, effectively using his edges to shake opponents and find open lanes for himself to burst through with the puck.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News

Strengths 

  • High end vision and smarts
  • Quick pace of play and ability to adjust to any situation
  • Great speed and edgework
  • Strong compete level and drive
  • Great puck control and skill
  • Strong 200-foot game

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Can learn to keep things simple under pressure
  • Not a big player, but can handle his own

NHL Potential

There isn’t any doubt that Stenberg can make the NHL sooner than later with his ability to adapt and adjust to whatever level he plays at. The competitive nature, the skill, the ability to play in all situations makes him a very valuable top line winger that can make his presence felt on both sides of the puck. His progression, the elite skillset and the potential he has truly makes him an entertaining player to watch. He’s a player that teams and coaches will love given the combination of the determination and skill in his game. 

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 1/5, Reward 5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 8/10, Defense 8/10

Awards/ Achievements

Stenberg already has a long list of accolades. He won a bronze medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and silver medals at the World U18 Championship and World Jr. A Championship where he was the best player on both rosters. He was a top-three player for Sweden at the World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal. Recently, he added a Champions League championship to his resume.

Ivar Stenberg Stats

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