The way San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky handles rookies is well-documented at this stage. Outside of Macklin Celebrini, rookies often have limited ice time to start their first season, are occasionally healthy scratched to avoid fatigue, and have their playing time ramp up as the season progresses and they're more familiar with life in the NHL. We've seen it with Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson, but is it really necessary for Ivar Stenberg?
Stenberg is different from the aforementioned prospects in a very important way, he's already been playing professional hockey. Last season between the Swedish Hockey League's regular season, playoffs and international play, Stenberg played a total of 77 hockey games. Unlike in the collegiate and major junior ranks, he also played on a schedule that was fairly similar to the NHL in terms of timing. Travel across North America will undoubtedly have a toll compared to the travel in Sweden, but it shouldn't be a major issue.
Talent-wise, Stenberg has already played against men, many of whom have NHL experience. Not only did he succeed in that environment, he had one of the best seasons by an 18-year-old in SHL history. He put himself in the same boat as the Sedin twins, Markus Naslund, and Tomas Sandstrom, all of whom went on to have phenomenal careers. None of those players immediately made the jump to the NHL, but times have changed. Stenberg has all of the required skills to thrive immediately.
While there will be some major differences for Stenberg as he adapts to life in the United States, such as the smaller North American rink, for example, it's nothing that can't be worked through with game experience. Fatigue shouldn't be an issue, nor will be adapting to the level of play at the NHL level.
All things considered, while the Sharks may use a development plan for Stenberg simply because it's the precedent that they've set in recent years, it seems truly unnecessary in this situation. If he struggles at the NHL level, it could be implemented later on, or he could even spend some time in the American Hockey League. Right out of the gate though, the Sharks should put their faith in Stenberg and see if he sinks or swims. While the tide will be strong, Stenberg seems like he could pull through.
