The San Jose Sharks are about to find out what Ivar Stenberg can do in a rookie season, and the range of opinions on the 18-year-old Swedish winger is pretty wide.
Two NHL scouts who tracked the 2026 No. 2 pick last season in the SHL, World Juniors and World Championships offered very different takes on his first year in San Jose. One sees a quick climb into a major role. The other expects a more uneven transition.
“I’d be happy with 50-55 points,” one scout said. “For sure, a top-six [for the San Jose Sharks].”
The other scout projected a more modest start.
“He gets 30-40 points. Top-nine and PP2, at times,” he said. “Barracuda, at times.”
Stenberg can move between the NHL and AHL this season, giving the Sharks some flexibility if they want to manage his development that way.
That possibility stands out when stacked against the recent rookie paths of other high picks in San Jose. 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa spent time in the AHL on a conditioning assignment, while 2023 No. 4 pick Will Smith, arguably, could’ve used some time down there. 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini was, as the source notes, a different animal.
There’s also a different team context now. Unlike the rookie seasons of Celebrini, Smith and Misa, these Sharks are expected to make the playoffs, which means Stenberg will face a higher standard just to keep his spot in the lineup.
The big question now is simple: what will it take for Stenberg to stay in the NHL all year?
In Other News...
Sharks Forward Battle Is Taking Shape Around Celebrini And Smith
The Sharks summer reshaping has already given the forward group a noticeably different look, with Mason Marchment joining the mix, first-round pick Ivar Stenberg now under an entry-level contract, and several departures thinning out the depth chart. William Eklund was moved for a future draft pick, while Philipp Kurashev, Pavol Regenda and Ryan Reaves all left in free agency, leaving San Jose with a clearer sense of which young pieces are going to drive the next wave.
That is why the projected lines around Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have become such a focal point as camp approaches. The top end still looks centered on those two, but the supporting cast is much less settled after all the offseason turnover, and the way the Sharks choose to build around them will say plenty about how aggressive they want to be in the short term and how much they want to keep the spotlight on development. [Read more 🡒]