Norwegian defenseman Stian Solberg fell further in the draft than many anticipated and the Anaheim Ducks seized the opportunity to trade up and select him with the 23rd overall pick
Norwegian defenseman Stian Solberg fell further in the draft than many anticipated and the Anaheim Ducks seized the opportunity to trade up and select him with the 23rd overall pick
NHL drafts are constantly full of surprises. Some players who are ranked in the teens for most of the season according to public rankings end up drafted inside the top five like Ducks' third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke. On the other hand, some fall outside the top 20 like the Ducks' 23rd overall pick Stian Solberg.
Solberg was dubbed "the most violent player in the draft" due to his proclivity for the physical aspects of the game. The combination of his physical nature, 6-foot-2 frame, and above-average puck skills made his slide into the 20s on draft night a bit surprising to most.
The Ducks entered the 2024 NHL Draft with seven picks in the first three rounds. They leveraged that surplus by trading pick 31 and pick 58 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for pick 23, and selected Solberg.
"He’s a throwback from a bygone era," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated after the first night of the draft. "I love how aggressive he is, how physical he is. There’s an edge in his game that we really liked. I think he’s a left-shot Radko Gudas that’s about three inches taller."
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Solberg scored 15 points in 42 regular season games for Vålerenga in Eliteserien, Norway's top professional league. He added another nine points in 17 playoff games as Vålerenga lost in the league finals.
Solberg represented Norway at the 2024 World Junior Championship, scoring two points in five games. In May, he boosted his exposure and draft stock by representing Norway again at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, where he scored three points in seven games and averaged nearly 23 minutes TOI per game.
"What really helped us was watching him at the world championships," Verbeek said. "Seeing him play against men and against NHL players, he made a really big impression on us."
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It can be easy for one to write Solberg off as simply a "defensive defenseman" due to his physical nature and foundational defensive aptitude, but a closer look reveals a more refined two-way presence from the back end.
He's a powerful skater who displays quick feet and quality edge work, especially when retrieving pucks below the goal line. He staves off forechecks well and can lead a rush moving up ice.
From the offensive blueline, he displays a shifty nature to open passing lanes from the wall or shooting lanes from along the blueline. His shot is heavy and finds its way to the net, around screens, or a teammate's stick for a tip with regularity.
Ducks Development Camp Takeaway: Solberg's Practice Habits
Solberg has endeared himself to fans, coaches, and teammates alike with his practice habits and unwavering intensity during the Ducks five-day development camp following the draft. He matches game speed and vigor during every drill and doesn't let up just because his opponents are potential future teammates.
"I just really like to play hard and I really enjoy the physical part of the game," Solberg said when the Ducks' development camp was over. "It comes natural. I don’t see why not to play hard."
While the Ducks pipeline is brimming with left-shot defensive talent like Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, Jackson LaCombe, Tyson Hinds, and Rodwin Dionicio, Solberg brings a blend of elements unique to that group.
On the surface, an abundance of left-shots on the blueline may seem redundant, but if one prioritizes style fit over handedness, Solberg's fit along the future of the blueline in Anaheim is seamless.
Solberg will likely play the 2024-25 season with Färjestad BK in the SHL. He will continue to polish his defensive game and look to expand the depths of his offensive ability.
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"When you’re going to handle a new level, you have to work on everything," Stolberg said. "So of course I’m going to play in Sweden next year and that’s a new level from the Norwegian league, so I’m going to keep training on everything and focus on everything."
If there was one area that could use the most refinement in Solberg's game, it would be transition defense. He could stand to close his gap a tad more when pucks are transported up ice so if and when there's a turnover, he isn't caught flat-footed.
Solberg signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ducks that will kick in when he eventually makes the transition to North American hockey, something fans, the organization, and Solberg himself are eagerly anticipating.
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