Ivar Stenberg, projected as the Chicago Blackhawks’ likely No. 4 pick, says he’s ready to move to the NHL immediately. At the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo, he pointed to confidence gained at Sweden’s world championships alongside Red Wings star Lucas Raymon
BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the Blackhawks drafted Swedish forward Anton Frondell a year ago, the team openly expected he’d return for one more season in his home country before jumping to the NHL. They got that exact timeline.
Ivar Stenberg doesn’t sound like he’s planning a similar detour.
Arguably the odds-on favorite to be the Hawks’ fourth overall pick this year, Stenberg said Friday at the NHL scouting combine that he’s ready now. “I want to play over here and play in the best league in the world,” the soft-spoken prospect told the gathering.
That belief has been sharpened in the one place prospects rarely get to simulate the daily rhythm of the league: playing alongside and against established NHL talent at the world championships. Stenberg’s week with Sweden reinforced his confidence. especially after sharing a top forward line with Red Wings star Lucas Raymond.
In eight games, Stenberg recorded eight points. Raymond — the fourth overall pick in 2020, and a coincidence Stenberg’s comparison can’t ignore — totaled 11 points.
“I was around NHL guys at the worlds, and…you get more confidence every day you’re around them,” Stenberg added Saturday. “[You] feel like you can compete against them and play with them.”
For Chicago, the appeal is more than just timing. Stenberg projects as a well-rounded playmaking winger at a moment when the Blackhawks have signaled how they want to balance their offense. General manager Kyle Davidson has proclaimed that Frondell, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar will all play center next season.
Stenberg said Frondell speaks glowingly about the Hawks’ organization. and the idea of the two young Swedes ending up together in Chicago is “objectively satisfying. ” even if the draft still runs through a gauntlet of other teams. Stenberg also listed an early-life network around the organization’s corner of Swedish hockey: he is friends with Frondell. Islanders prospect Victor Eklund. and projected 2026 top-15 pick Viggo Bjorck — all headliners of Sweden’s up-and-coming generation.
His production has offered a reason to believe the jump won’t be purely sentimental. Stenberg said his output in the Swedish Hockey League surprised him. He tallied 33 points in 43 games for Frolunda. a run that marked one of the SHL’s best-ever seasons by an 18-year-old. The performance helped put his name in the same conversation as other modern high-end prospects.
Raymond remains the reference point that comes up naturally. not just because of the point totals. but because the players’ roots run parallel. Raymond grew up playing for Frolunda as well, and Stenberg described Raymond as a role model. He said he especially admires Raymond’s ability to read the ice and carry the puck. Stenberg. in his own telling. elevated that benchmark: he blew Raymond’s draft-year production out of the water. finishing with 33 points in 43 games compared to Raymond’s 10 points in 33 games.
They’re also similarly sized. Raymond is listed at 5-11 and 186 pounds, while Stenberg is listed at 5-11 and 183 pounds.
One number won’t be updated for scouts who like to compare testing results: Stenberg opted out of testing at the combine due to illness, so those figures weren’t refreshed.
If the Hawks land Stenberg, Chicago would love the kind of development arc that turns a top pick into a franchise-level contributor. That’s the reason the Raymond comparison keeps resurfacing. Raymond has now eclipsed 70 points in three consecutive NHL seasons.
Still, no one in the hockey world can promise the second coming of any player. Stenberg’s own pitch is less about destiny and more about what he expects to translate immediately. He said one key trait he thinks will carry over is his hockey IQ.
His skating and shot mechanics matter too. His agile skating, quick wrist-shot release, smart passing, consistent work ethic, and defensive responsibility are all widely acclaimed. But there’s a specific area he said needs work: he needs to shoot more often.
His reputation with the puck has earned strong praise from other prospects as they watch the same tape. Top draft-eligible defenseman Chase Reid said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody have the IQ that guy does.” Reid added that off the rush. Stenberg “lays pucks into areas that most guys would never see. ” and he’s “really good at slipping [through defenses].”.
Even with average size, scouts have flagged him as difficult to move. FloHockey scouting expert Chris Peters. speaking in May. said Stenberg “isn’t afraid to go to any of the hard areas. ” and he “isn’t afraid to take a hit to make a play.” Peters added that Stenberg will dig for the puck and has the hands to make something happen once he “fishes it out.”.
The strongest contrast in the conversation is how teams weigh star potential across the top names. The only difference between Stenberg and projected first overall pick Gavin McKenna might be slightly lower star potential.
For the Blackhawks, the draft itself is where the equation tightens. The path to Stenberg is still blocked by two teams: the only teams standing between Chicago and the likely No. 4 pick are the Sharks and Canucks, which hold the second and third picks. Both teams took Stenberg out to dinners this week in Buffalo.
With that setup, it increasingly looks possible that Stenberg, Chase Reid, and center Caleb Malhotra could come off the board in some order at 2-3-4, leaving Chicago to take whoever remains at No. 4.
Ivar Stenberg Chicago Blackhawks NHL draft Lucas Raymond Anton Frondell Kyle Davidson Buffalo scouting combine Sweden world championships Frolunda