As the 2026 World Juniors came to a close on Monday night, the countdown has begun for the 2026 NHL Draft. While we are still a while from the conclusion of the NHL season, the draft lottery, and finding out who will pick where, one thing is for certain, projected top 5 pick Ivar Stenberg is a star in the making.

Sweden was dominant in this years’ WJC, going a perfect 7-0 to capture their first gold medal at the tournament since 2012. They had a loaded roster headlined by Anton Frundell (Blackhawks prospect, 3rd overall pick in 2025) and Viktor Eklund (Islanders prospect, 16th overall pick in 2024), among other players already belonging to NHL clubs. But when I got the chance to watch them play, I was continually impressed by the play of Ivar Stenberg.

Although born in 2007, Stenberg missed the cutoff to be draft eligible in 2025, as his birthday comes after September 15th. What this meant for him was a whole extra year to increase his draft stock, and he has been doing just that. He would have been a first round pick last season, as he worked his way up to the SHL (Swedish Hockey League), the top men’s league in the country and one of the best leagues Europe has to offer. In 25 regular season games he only recorded 3 points, but in the playoffs he boosted his production recording 6 points in 12 games. 

Gaining momentum heading into his draft eligible season, expectations were high for Ivar, and he has lived up to them and then some. He sits second on his team (Frölunda HC) in scoring with 24 points in 25 games. His draft stock continues to rise, and the World Juniors gave him an opportunity to showcase his talents on the world stage.

Stenberg had 10 points in 7 games, including 3 in the gold medal game, helping his team cap off an incredible tournament. Every time he touched the puck, it felt like he was about to make a play, something good was going to happen. It looked as though the game slowed down, he seemed calm and confident in his abilities whenever he had possession. He displayed a combination of skating, puck skills, and vision all at an elite level. Along with a gold medal, he leaves the tournament with a great case to be taken as high as number one in the upcoming NHL Draft.

He would become the third Swede taken first overall ever, most recently in 2018 when defenceman Rasmus Dahlin (who played for the same SHL team) went first. He would also be the first Swedish forward taken first overall since 1989 when Mats Sundin was the first to hear his name called, nearly twenty years before Stenberg was even born.

I anticipate it to be a two man race between him and Gavin McKenna leading up to the Draft. McKenna also had an impressive tournament, but he has not dominated in the NCAA as much as many thought he would, leaving the door open for Ivar to overtake him. Regardless of where he goes, someone is getting an excellent player, who projects to be a star playmaker in the league.