As usual, there is a Frölunda player up in the rankings for this year’s draft, following in the footsteps of Rasmus Dahlin (2018), Samuel Fagemo (second round, 2019), Lucas Raymond (2020), Simon Edvinsson (2021) and the outlier Ludwig Persson (third round, 2022), as the first name called from Frölunda’s academy.
This year it is Otto Stenberg, who is currently marshalling the Swedish forces in the World U18 Championship. He will be the first Frölunda player called, potentially during the latter half of the first round, especially with the World U18s being a showcase of his talent.
While he didn’t stand out in the SHL, where he scored three points (1G, 2A) in 25 games with an average of seven minutes of ice time (including playoffs), it is in the U18s and U20s where he really made his case; being close to a point-per-game producer in both competitions, while not really achieving supremacy at U20 level.
Stenberg has many of the things you are looking for in a draft prospect: his skating is excellent, his puck control is good to very good (even at speed), and his wrist shot is both accurate and fast. However, his passing and playmaking are not a strong point, even if he has shown improvement throughout the season.
Birthplace: Stenungssund, Sweden
Date of birth: May 29, 2005
Shoots: Left
Position: Centre/Wing
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 181 lbs.
Team: Frölunda HC (SHL)
The benefit of having been in Frölunda’s system is that he has been able to move between the U18, U20, and professional levels without actually having to move locker rooms in the practice arena. This has helped his development though the season, and made for an enticing series when Frölunda faced AIK in the U18 quarter-final, a series which was dominated by Stenberg and Dalibor Dvorsky, and in which Dvorsky came out on top, much as he will come draft day.
The positives that Stenberg has are in his game with the puck. He uses his excellent skating to create space for himself to use a very accurate and fast wrist shot, with the added bonus of a quick, often hidden release. These things are already on an advanced level, and they are easily translatable to the NHL.
The playmaking skills only come in flashes, and he can be perceived as an egoistic player, though that may be because he doesn’t seem to trust himself to deliver the puck to the player with the best chance.
One of his teammates called this a non-issue when asked. “Sure he might not pass to me that much, but it is difficult to get a pass as he plays on the first line, and I am on the bottom line. He has no ego at all.”
His teammates all pointed out another thing that will entice NHL teams, and something that is currently visible at the tournament in Switzerland: his leadership qualities. “He is a great leader, he pushes us and he helps in any way he can. He leads by example: he is the first one in and last one out for every practice.”
With that in mind, it is easy to see that the time with the SHL team has benefited him. The passing game is getting better and more accurate, especially against similar-aged competition. However, it is still a work in progress, along with the usual things for a young forward, like closing the gap in the defensive zone and finding open space on the breakout when playing against men. He needs to learn to process the game faster.
Preliminary Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #17
Elite Prospects: #50
FCHockey: #21
Hockey Prospect: #64
Hadi Kalakeche: #21
McKeen’s: #31
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #28
NHL Central Scouting: #6 (European skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): N/R in Top 32
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #32
As can be seen, Stenberg is a divisive prospect. His range goes from 17 to 64 for a total of 47 places between the top and bottom vote at this point. One would assume the rankings will consolidate themselves after a fruitful World U18s where he has shown off his quantities against his peers on the way to a spot in the final, rather than be based solely on what he achieved against seasoned professionals or players that have already been drafted in the U20s.
There are questions that remains to be answered, but the upside that he possesses is intriguing, and the trajectory that he is on should have his outlook only getting better. He will get the opportunity to mature under one of the best coaches and developers outside the NHL, Roger Rönnberg, and one can’t imagine what a year or two under ‘the Gardener’ will mean for Stenberg’s development. It might not just be Frölunda that reaps the reward from that coaching as an NHL team should get an important piece of their future down the line.
Anton Rasegård
