Preparing for every new draft cycle is an exciting process that begins every August at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and concludes at the men’s World Hockey Championship and Memorial Cup at the end of May. A big part of this journey is monitoring players in as many high leverage games as possible throughout the season, when the stakes are the highest and the pressure builds.

Rankings and lists form and evolve through the year and scouts must supplement what they have observed by also breaking down video to confirm what they value in any given player.

As we head to the end of this year’s scouting calendar, Ivar Stenberg remains my top-ranked prospect for the 2026 draft, a place he has occupied since January after the world juniors. And he’s still not quite finished. Stenberg is in the process of ending his draft-eligible season on a high note representing Sweden at the World Championship as they head into the quarterfinal round on Thursday.

I have long been on the record about how I value Stenberg compared to Gavin McKenna, the other potential top pick in the draft. I see McKenna as a dynamic offensive talent with game-breaking skill, but he lacks the all-around detail that Stenberg plays with off the puck, and in the defensive zone.

However, somewhere along the line, Stenberg’s own offensive upside has been blurred by the description that he is a defensively responsible player. McKenna very well may score more than Stenberg at the NHL level, but there’s also a chance he won’t. Make no mistake: Stenberg also has elite, top-line skill. Do not lose sight of that when I mention his defensive strengths.

The bottom line is that the top two prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft approach the game, and deliver results, in very different ways. It’s that simple and who you choose depends on how you project they will develop in the coming years.

And it won’t be an easy choice to make at the top of the draft.

Given the narrative that has developed around Stenberg’s defensive strengths, and since I believe his offensive abilities are being overlooked, I wanted to spend some time today focusing more on why he’s also a threat to score and create chances.

Ivar Stenberg’s performance at the World Championship

The preliminary round is finished, so here’s a quick statistical breakdown of what we’ve seen from Stenberg so far at the worlds:

Stenberg has averaged around 19 minutes of ice time per game, all at even strength and on the power play. His high-water marks came against Czechia (21:48 TOI) and Norway (22:15). In Sweden’s final game of the round-robin, which was a win-or-go-home contest versus Slovakia, Stenberg played 16:52 and scored the game-winning goal. 

The amount of offence Stenberg has produced at the World Championship puts him in some elite historical company among draft eligible players at this event.

With the medal round still ahead of him (at least one more game, possibly three), here is how Stenberg compares to other draft year prospects since the year 2000 at the worlds:

I still have Stenberg No. 1 overall because I am very comfortable with his overall game. I trust him defensively and value his offensive upside. In time, I believe he has the potential to produce in the 80-95 point range in the NHL.

I wanted to highlight what I’ve seen from Stenberg on the offensive side of the puck that makes me so high on him.

The first clip is pretty straight forward. Stenberg leverages himself against an Italian defender off the puck drop and gains possession for his group on Sweden’s power play. He patiently identifies the quadrant of ice he is most likely to receive the puck in and very quickly deposits it in the back of the net:

The next highlight displays the efficiency of Stenberg’s approach when he attacks with speed through the neutral zone. He identifies that his opponents have retreated off their blue line, out of respect for his pace, and fires a puck home from a high-danger position in Czechia’s zone:

Players with elite offensive hockey sense recognize how plays are developing ahead of their opponents. They have the ability to support their group, work off the cycle, leverage their strength and make plays around the net. 

This final sequence is from a Swedish League game this season, but I wanted to use it to show off his ability in this area. Notice how Stenberg comes into view on the far left side of the clip. He moves to support the play on the half wall, gets the puck and holds off a defender to walk to the crease area, and then dishes a back-door pass for a primary assist.

Why I believe Stenberg is still the No. 1 prospect in this class

Most of the discussion regarding who will be selected first overall at the draft has revolved around the top two prospects on my list: McKenna and Stenberg. But NHL clubs will certainly discuss the comparable upside of centre Caleb Malhotra, or right-shot defencemen Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff and Daxon Rudolph. 

Is there a team that believes Prince George defenceman Carson Carels is the top player in the draft? What about Stenberg’s teammate at the World Championship, centre Viggo Bjorck?

I’ve written about all of these players in my rankings, and you can find the latest list here. I’ll be releasing one more draft ranking after the combine, followed by a mock draft later on in June.

I fully appreciate the sentiment and upside surrounding all these other prospects, but Stenberg’s body of work has convinced me that he is the top prospect in this draft cycle. His skill is undeniable and his overall approach to the game is noteworthy.

What I hope is that readers don’t hear “all around player” or “strong defensive game” and then underestimate Stenberg’s offensive upside. It’s impossible to not appreciate the fact he produced 11G-22A playing in the SHL, Sweden’s top pro league, for Frolunda this season. Even in terms of historical SHL production for draft eligible players, Stenberg has several noteworthy comparisons:

At the 2026 world juniors, Team Sweden walked away with the gold medal and Stenberg was their leading scorer with 4G-6A.

Some people will wonder about the fact Stenberg hasn’t been deployed in a penalty-killing role, but I believe he is capable of being used in all situations if necessary. He’s a complete player and a winger, but he might even give the team that drafts him something to think about when it comes to trying him out at the centre ice position eventually. 

All player stats provided by PuckPedia. Video provided by Hudl Instat.