Which brings us to this year’s draft, where Grier has again said that he will draft the BPA, and if that’s the case, most people are saying that if the Toronto Maple Leafs take Gavin McKenna as expected, then the BPA at number two will be Ivar Stenberg from Sweden.
Ivar Stenberg, F – Frölunda HC (SHL)
Height: 6-foot-0Weight: 181 poundsAge/DOB: 18, Sept. 30, 2007Shoots: LeftFrölunda HC (SHL): 43 games, 33 points (11 G, 22 A)Sweden U20 World Junior Championship: 7 games, 10 points (4 G, 6 A)Sweden World Championship: 8 games, 8 points (4 G, 4 A)
Stenberg is one of the more impressive prospects on the list because he played last season among men and held his own. The 18-year-old played 43 games in Sweden’s top league, the SHL, and scored 33 points, including 11 goals. It was enough to earn him Rookie of the Year honors, beating out fellow top prospect in this draft, Viggo Björck, and top Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect Anton Frondell.
Stenberg then moved up to Sweden’s national team in the spring, where he played at a point per game pace at the World Championship. Again, he showed his ability to compete against men and hold his own.
While it’s not a huge deal, the one thing to keep an eye on is his age. Stenberg is slightly older than some of the other players in this draft. He will turn 19 on Sept. 30. That means he’s a bit more developed than some of the others. For comparison, Macklin Celebrini was 18 years and 15 days when he was drafted, and Michael Misa was 18 years and 131 days old. Stenberg will be 18 years and 269 days old on draft day. Some people care about that stuff.
The case against Stenberg
The fact that he’s close to overage is only a slight strike against him. Some might believe there’s less room for exponential growth than a younger player might have. That said, players grow at different paces, and so it may not be a downside at all.
In terms of physical downsides, there have been critiques of his ability to skate. It’s been described as “average” by some. His size, 6’0″, also isn’t overwhelming, especially when you take into account that he’s almost a year older than some of the other players in the draft, but it’s not a huge issue.
Perhaps the biggest argument against the forward has nothing to do with his play at all, but his position. The Sharks are overflowing with forwards and blindly grasping at straws for defensemen. With the likes of Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff and Alberts Smits available, it’s very, very tempting to skip over Stenberg and choose a defenseman instead.
The case for Stenberg
Stenberg is a game-breaking winger and the Sharks don’t have one of those in the fold just yet. He’s projected to be better than Quentin Musty, who would be considered the best winger in the Sharks’ prospect pool at the moment. What’s more, he has a higher upside than William Eklund. Scouts believe that Stenberg will be a consistent 80-90 point player in the NHL and that’s without factoring in playing him alongside Celebrini, which would likely give any player a boost.
Like the other forwards that Grier has gathered so far, Stenberg is considered a smart hockey player and is credited with his two-way play. He thinks the game at a high level and protects the puck well. He would, as a whole, be an excellent complement to Celebrini’s wing and could create one of the best lines in the NHL with Celebrini and Will Smith.
And while it might be petty, there’s the added bonus that taking Stenberg would frustrate the heck out of the teams below San Jose on the draft board, specifically the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. Both teams’ fans have been trying to pawn off their players in lopsided trades to get the second-overall pick and snag Stenberg for themselves. Hearing Stenberg’s name called and seeing the social media meltdown would be a bit of fun.
What the scouts say about Stenberg
Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala has Stenberg as his number one overall
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