Why the Blackhawks are hoping for Ivar Stenberg to fall

Heading into the NHL Draft Lottery last month, Chicago Blackhawks fans were excited for the chance to draft either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. When the Blackhawks fell to fourth overall, despite it being the most likely outcome, there was disappointment.

However, when you saw how the first four picks fell into place, you could see a logical path to still adding Stenberg to the organization. There is little doubt that McKenna will go first overall. The wild card is the San Jose Sharks at No. 2. While they are in need of another top defensive prospect, they could take Stenberg here. Or, they could trade the pick to a team that wants to select the young Swedish forward.

If the Sharks do go with one of the blueliners, the Vancouver Canucks are believed to take Caleb Maholtra with the third pick. Then, the Blackhawks have who some feel is the top forward in the draft fall right into their laps. While that is the logical scenario many mock drafts predict, logic and NHL general managers don’t always walk hand in hand.

A Draft Season for the Ages

If Stenberg falls to the Blackhawks at four, Kyle Davidson should sprint to the podium to announce the pick. Well, that is if they still did the cool centralized draft. Regardless, he’ll have a smile going from ear to ear as he calls in the pick.

Stenberg could be inserted directly into the Blackhawks’ top six as soon as opening night. Adding him, along with Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov, makes the Blackhawks an exponentially better offensive team than what we saw last season. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar won’t have to carry the offense every night, and opposing teams would actually have to game-plan for more than one dangerous line.

Few prospects have had better draft seasons than Stenberg. After dominating the Swedish junior league the previous year, he had the second-most successful season in SHL history for a draft-eligible player. He scored 11 goals and 33 points in 43 games for Frölunda HC. He and Frondell made the World Junior Championship their personal playground, scoring four goals and 10 points on the way to a gold medal.

His run at the IIHF World Championship was the cherry on top of his excellent season. In eight tournament games, he scored four goals and eight points.

What Makes Stenberg Special?

Stenberg has all the offensive talent in the world. What separates him from most prospects that he thinks the game on an elite level. That makes him an ideal linemate for Bedard, especially after what head coach Jeff Blashill recently told The Athletic’s Scott Powers.

“Connor’s a really, really smart hockey player, very, very highly intelligent, sees things that a lot of other guys don’t see,” he said. “Coming into the league, he was known for his shot, but he’s equally as good a passer as a shooter, maybe better. And so, finding a linemate who has kinda that same level of offensive hockey smarts, can think to that level, can both probably pass it and shoot it, finding a guy that’s a pair for him, that is certainly important.”

While he can score amazing goals like the one above, Stenberg does his best work as a playmaker. His vision is elite, and his passing skills are second to none. Not only can he find any player on the ice, but he can get the puck to him with pinpoint accuracy. He is calm with the puck, even when moving at high speeds and using his body to fend off opponents.

His passing skills and creativity are off the charts, but don’t sleep on his shot either. He’s shown off a lethal wrist shot that he can use to score from anywhere on the ice. The only knock on his offensive game is that he doesn’t use his good shot enough.

Stenberg isn’t a one-dimensional player by any means. He plays a very solid defensive game. His ability to anticipate plays helps him in the defensive zone, while his high motor makes him very effective on the backcheck. He isn’t the offensive dynamo McKenna is, but he has a better all-around game and a skill set that fits perfectly with the Blackhawks.

If the draft board went by just pure talent, there is no way Stenberg would be there when the Blackhawks are on the clock. But with the teams ahead of them possibly drafting for need rather than the best player available, it could bring the exciting young Swedish forward to Chicago.