Sharks sign Ivar Stenberg to entry-level contract
What’s the point in waiting?
On Thursday, the San Jose Sharks signed 2026 second-overall pick Ivar Stenberg to an entry-level contract.
THAT WAS FAST 🦈 2026 second overall pick Ivar Stenberg has signed his entry-level contract with the @SanJoseSharks!
San Jose selected the Swedish winger at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on June 26. Not even a full week later, Stenberg has signed his three-year entry-level deal with the Sharks.
Stenberg, 18, was widely seen as one the premier prospects available in the 2026 draft, with many scouts believing him to be the top player in the class. Daily Faceoff‘s prospect analyst Steven Ellis had Stenberg as the draft’s second-best prospect, behind only Penn State winger Gavin McKenna who wound up going first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, in his final pre-draft rankings.
Ellis noted that “Stenberg’s floor is very, very high, and he proved that at the World Championship. Stenberg has virtually no holes in his game. He’s dynamic in possession, wields a lethal shot and flashes high-end hockey sense.”
The Gothenburg, Sweden native played last season for Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), where he put up 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 43 games. He then had four assists in Frolunda’s six playoff games. Those are highly impressive numbers for a teenager playing in Sweden’s top professional league.
Next on the ledger for the Sharks is to sign fellow 2026 draftee Keaton Verhoeff, the defenseman they selected with the ninth-overall pick that they received as part of the trade that sent forward William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators.
San Jose is putting together a collection of young talent that could develop into something pretty scary in short order. Of course, 20-year-old center Macklin Celebrini is already one of the game’s brightest stars, while forwards Will Smith, Michael Misa, and defenseman Sam Dickinson, along with now Stenberg and Verhoeff, have the makings of a potentially elite supporting cast.