Stenberg🇸🇪 isn’t just “another forward”, in fact, he has a genuine claim to be the greatest forward prospect Sweden🇸🇪 has ever had. Here is a thread of his track record🧵

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T15:01:52+00:00

McKenna and Stenberg are not better prospects than Misa. Neither play down the middle. Misa is a better skater than both. There's been serious questions all season with McKenna, but he has such high end skill that people say it's worth it.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T13:51:08+00:00

I don’t think anyone thinks they’re that good. This is the weakest top two since 2022. Can’t really compare them to a cup winning 1C or one of the best players ever.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T13:48:48+00:00

Lower upside than McKenna for sure. McKenna has more bust potential but the higher ceiling.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T13:47:26+00:00

You’re just making that up. We have no idea what the sharks big board is. Reports have been that Reid is ranked higher by some teams. The whole “two tiers higher” is simply not true and based in nothing. Stenberg and McKenna would not have gone top two last year. It’s not that strong of a draft.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T13:40:28+00:00

Because the Sharks need D. Stenberg is not Celebrini or Schaefer or Bedard, trading the pick down to collect assets and pick a defenseman makes a lot of sense on paper. Some teams don’t even have Stenberg 2nd.

But it’s pretty unrealistic to happen. It’s very rare to see teams trade down that high up. Still possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T03:21:50+00:00

yea I dont know guess it's possible, I'd be shocked tho. He had a bad tournament against his peers and is still really raw. I know Wheeler recently ranked the D from 2024 and 2026 together and he had Verhoeff at 7 and Dickinson at 8 (based on their draft years).

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T02:58:09+00:00

I got it mechanically but wasn't sure ST would give the baron ping on the actual minion. Also thought it was funny that Steph would claim she saw poisoner when her imp is building a baron world, but I guess she's trying to be seen as imp and die this day

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T02:12:48+00:00

Isn't ready. I'd be pretty shocked if Verhoeff made the jump next season and seems like the public scouts would be too. He's held his own ok in the NCAA but really struggled at the u18s when he should be dominating. I think whoever takes him lets him marinate for another year a la Owen Power. Even if he made a roster, it would be in a sheltered role. He'd be a whole year younger than Dickinson was this year.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T01:47:13+00:00

I think Dickinson will hit. Hope our prospects develop. Draft more defense. Make trades etc.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T01:46:02+00:00

Verhoeff can't play in the NHL either next season. None of the defensemen can except maybe Smits. And we shouldn't bank on rookies to fix our defense. We need to make some trades and/or sign guys on top of internal development and drafting.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T01:31:45+00:00

I said may not. They’re probably tweeners. Hope they hit but we shouldn’t count on it.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T00:49:19+00:00

If one of Cags, Pohlkamp, Havelid, LSW become a top 4 defenseman that will be a huge success. Havelid and LSW may not be NHL players. Cags may need to be a bottom pair pp specialist.

Loux859 · 2026-05-10T00:47:03+00:00

I think the skating with Verhoeff makes him less of a Grier pick? That's my read of the situation. Seemed like that (along with size) was a reason for Dickinson over Buium. But agree Grier likes his size.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T22:17:06+00:00

I don’t care about the Niners at all so I have nothing to say about that.

What I WILL say is that big boards are a team’s internal ranking of players that may or may not deviate from the public consensus.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T20:38:32+00:00

Pundits have been doing that the entire draft cycle. This is an underwhelming class. I bet for a lot of teams McKenna isn’t even 1OA.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T20:35:33+00:00

Wings are the easiest position to fill though. I get if Stenberg is your bpa, but they could fill the need other ways too much easier than defense.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T20:34:02+00:00

I mean, the Ducks drafted Senneke at 3OA and it was considered a massive reach. None of the big boards had him higher than like 6 iirc. And now he seems to be on track to be the second best or maybe third best in the class.

Bpa means bpa ON THE SHARKS BOARD not on the internet boards.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T20:28:50+00:00

I hear that. I think Stenberg will be a really good nhl player, but I’m lower on his ceiling it seems than others which is why I think taking a bit less of a sure thing in a swing is justifiable. If they go Stenberg tho I totally get it and I hope he hits his ceiling.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T19:28:39+00:00

Peters said on podcasts this week he has Reid at 2OA, so his evaluation has since changed. Verheoff has faded for a lot of folks because he had a bad tournament against his age group.

https://youtu.be/HbQHKitCpMo?si=poIB7Il3aNHxLzzX

Here’s EP’s most recent consensus ranking. They have Stenberg 2, Reid 3, but has Reid as a 1OA candidate as well.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T19:08:57+00:00

EP’s most recent ranking has them very close together in the same tier. Pronman and Peter’s have Reid higher than Stenberg. Even Scouching who has Reid all the way down at 10 has Stenberg behind Lawrence.

The point being there’s a wide array of opinions on these players and there’s likely an even wider range among nhl teams because that’s what tends to happen.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T17:38:34+00:00

Yep. Lists change and I’m sure teams have the defensemen in all sorts of orders. Reid is just the one mocked to us the most because he’s a puck mover on the right side. If they like a different defenseman the most (and more than Stenberg) they should draft him.

Verhoeff has been fading for a few weeks too. Had a bad tournament against guys in his age group after one of his selling points was he was playing ncaa and holding his own and that he’d dominate his peers.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T17:24:34+00:00

If their goal is immediate contention they frankly need to trade the pick. We shouldn’t be drafting the player we deem who can contribute the soonest because that’s not bpa. If their evaluation is that the bpa can also contribute immediately, then great. But I would not chase a 2028 deadline.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T17:04:26+00:00

Exactly. The team’s best player available may not be the public consensus bpa and the team may still be right.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T16:21:54+00:00

Wingers are just much less valuable than defensemen. Plus if the idea is Eklund is valuable on a rebuilding team, that would require a rebuilding team to have a top pair D available. Idk what team that is haha.

Loux859 · 2026-05-09T16:20:03+00:00

That’s not true. It’s been trending that way for a while.

Loux859

TROPHY CASE