Surpassing historic marks set by NHL stars, the Swedish phenom is challenging draft rankings with a gritty, high-octane offensive game that proves he is far more than just a safe prospect.
As the debate around the top of the 2026 NHL Draft keeps growing, Sportsnet scout Jason Bukala thinks people need to take a closer look at Ivar Stenberg’s offensive game.
A lot of the attention around this class still centers on Gavin McKenna, especially offensively, but Bukala doesn’t seem convinced the gap between the two is as wide as it gets talked about publicly.
Stenberg had a massive season with Frölunda in the SHL, putting up 33 points in 43 games. Historically, that’s rare territory for an 18-year-old in Sweden’s top league. His production ranks fifth all-time for that age group, ahead of names like Lucas Raymond and Nicklas Backstrom.
Most scouts already love the complete side of his game. The detail is there, the pace is there, and he already looks comfortable playing against older competition. That’s usually the first thing people bring up with him.
But because of that, the offensive side sometimes gets pushed into the background a bit.
Bukala pointed toward how effective Stenberg is in traffic and around the boards. A lot of his offence comes from difficult areas of the ice, winning battles, protecting pucks, and still making plays under pressure instead of just creating off the rush.
That’s why this probably isn’t as simple as McKenna sitting alone in his own tier offensively.
McKenna is still the top player on most public boards right now, and that likely won’t change anytime soon. But Stenberg is making this a much tighter conversation heading into the NHL Draft Combine next month.
At this point, he’s not really viewed as just the safe, well-rounded prospect anymore. There’s a growing belief that the offensive ceiling might be a lot higher than people first thought.