Ivar Stenberg (LW/RW, 6-0, 181 lbs) – Frölunda HC (SHL): 17 GP, 3 G + 9 A = 12 Pts
Stenberg is off to a historic start this season in the SHL. He looks right at home with the speed, strength, and processing speed of an SHL-level player. Stenberg is one of the players I’ve kept the closest eye on so far this year and he has been fantastic. Earlier this season he was playing about 12 minutes a night and easily could’ve handled more, now he’s slowly creeping up into 15-18 minute outings and still looks dominant. Stenberg’s line just makes stuff happen every time they jump the boards. I love this kid. He skates like the wind, battles endlessly, strong and physical, skill and creativity for days. Stenberg’s a top three lock for me in the 2026 NHL Draft and still the closest thing to Gavin McKenna. Don’t count him out for a battle for first overall come June.
Victor Eklund (RW, 5-11, 170 lbs) – Djurgårdens IF (SHL): 16 GP, 0 G + 8 A = 8 Pts
Eklund has gotten off to a pretty decent start in his first year in the SHL and seems to be adjusting well. He’s an absolute workhorse and never quits on a play. I still don’t think he’s got the stuff to be a consistent top-six producer in the NHL, but he looks really good to be a middle-six forechecking playmaker with PP1 upside. Eklund’s skating is very strong. He can change directions, cut inside, and spin from pressure with terrifying quickness. Eklund’s top speed isn’t enough to be a tool that separates him in the NHL though. As his stats indicate, he may have a hard time scoring in the NHL as in my opinion he lacks the strength and raw finishing ability and has a heavy preference to dish the puck.
Anton Frondell (C/LW, 6-1, 205 lbs) – Djurgårdens IF (SHL): 17 GP, 8 G + 4 A = 12 Pts
Strong start to the SHL campaign for the Blackhawks third overall pick. Frondell still looks like he could have the makings of an elite complementary player. He won’t ever drive his own line, but he will complement an elite playmaker better than most players in the league. Frondell’s shot, especially the one-timer, looks very deadly. Quick and powerful. He doesn’t have the ability like elite goal scorers to change the angle or create shooting opportunities out of nothing, so he won’t consistently generate his own dangerous shots. Paired with strong playmakers, Frondell’s absolutely lethal. He battles like an animal and doesn’t fear physicality or “the fight” at all. Frondell can grow into a depth role in the NHL too if needed, he is fully pro ready, close to NHL ready. Skating doesn’t look too bad. I was always higher on his skating than some other people, it certainly gets the job done. That being said, I haven’t seen too much improvement on the skating front for Frondell so far.
Eddie Genborg (LW/RW, 6-2, 198 lbs) – Timrå IK (SHL): 18 GP, 7 G + 6 A = 13 Pts
In the opposite of a shocking development, Genborg has started this SHL season looking really strong. He’s someone that doesn’t need anywhere near as many puck touches as Eklund to be effective. Genborg does everything hard. Hits hard. Shoots hard. Skates hard. Battles hard. Slashes hard. Coaches and fans are going to love him. He just plays tough, hardworking hockey and has goal-scoring tools to top it off. Genborg’s got a lethal wrist and snap shot. This has been true every time I’ve watched him—he doesn’t create a ton of chances, but Genborg creates turnovers, wins battles, muscles his way to the net, and finishes off chances that come his way. There’s a reason he’s gotten so much SHL time. Genborg’s defensively responsible, lays out to block shots, and has a high defensive work rate. Genborg is still growing, still getting stronger, still filling out. He’s going to be a complete demon. Skating is good and continuing to get better—he’s adding more agility and seems to have a little better top speed. Genborg’s still not a high-end skater and can look a bit clunky when skating with the puck, but he’s come a very long way since the Hlinka of his draft year.
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (C, 6-3, 185 lbs) – Luleå HF (SHL): 13 GP, 1 G + 1 A = 2 Pts
Ihs-Wozniak continues to be a polarizing talent and has started this SHL season without a ton of opportunity. He’s eclipsed 12 minutes in the SHL twice, neither appearance got to 13 minutes. Safe to say he’s not getting a ridiculous amount of ice time. Ihs-Wozniak has always been a great skater, fast and smooth, but he’s finally beginning to use his feet off-puck more effectively. In his draft year, he was a difficult projection because he would look so electric on the puck at times and then just disappear for shifts, periods, even whole games at a time. Professional hockey seems to be rubbing off on Ihs-Wozniak. He’s throwing more hits and looks overall more involved. Ihs-Wozniak is going to need to keep working hard on this area of his game if he wants to play in an NHL middle or bottom six. He’s got the tools to be a strong top-six complementary player. I still don’t think he’s ever going to drive a line at the highest level, so he will needed to round out his game. This is a good start.
Michal Svrček (LW/RW, 5-11, 190 lbs) – Brynäs IF (SHL): 11 GP, 0 G + 0 A = 0 Pts
Svrček is someone I was a big fan of last year. He plays the game in a really projectable way. Svrček begins every shift as if shot from a cannon. He’s a great skater with good edgework. Loves to turn back and forth in the ozone, losing defenders with his agility. Svrček’s a complete dawg—got the makings of an elite forechecker. He’s another guy with limited SHL time so far. The top-six upside isn’t always there, and personally I don’t think he ever gets there, Svrček’s just not dynamic enough, not well-rounded enough as an attacker. That being said, it’s going to be extremely hard to keep this kid out of an NHL lineup.
William Håkansson (D, 6-4, 207 lbs) – Luleå HF (SHL): 14 GP, 0 G + 2 A = 2 Pts
From the few games I’ve seen of Håkansson so far this year, he screams NHL depth defender. He does so many of the simple, responsible, reliable parts of the game extremely well. Håkansson’s gap control is great and he uses his long reach effectively. He approaches body positioning battles for puck retrievals perfectly, wins battles, and gets the puck moving north again with a good first pass. Håkansson’s skating isn’t anything to write home about, but his positioning, habits, and stick play are so professional already. I really like Håkansson’s chances of becoming a depth NHLer.
Niklas Aaram-Olsen (RW/LW, 6-1, 183 lbs) – Örebro HK (SHL): 6 GP, 0 G + 0 A = 0 Pts
Aaram-Olsen hasn’t gotten much SHL time at all, but he’s a fun prospect I wanted to touch on. He’s right on the fringe of being SHL ready. He’s got dynamic hands, quick agile skating, and he throws his little body around and doesn’t back down from the fight. The Norwegian is an exciting player, and it’ll be fun to see if Aaram-Olsen gets more SHL opportunities.
Viggo Björck (C/RW, 5-10, 172 lbs) – Djurgårdens IF (SHL): 15 GP, 2 G + 4 A = 6 Pts
In his first draft eligible season, Björck looks to be a full-time SHLer and looks comfortable. He’s got a good motor, skates hard, good straight-line speed, and seems to be consistently making good decisions. The pace of play seems just a touch high for Björck at times, he will lose puck control or force a pass at times. Björck’s still adjusting, but he looks good. He’s a bit of a straight-line player, a bit predictable, so I worry about the high-end upside of a top-six player. But he works really hard, and the raw skill is undeniable.
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Thanks for reading! I’m Greysen — a Winnipeg-based scout working with the Olds Grizzlys in the AJHL.
Always watching, always learning.
You can follow me and my work here: twitter – @goudygreysen