Matthew Stienburg

October 2024 – Stienburg used the 2024-25 preseason to reinforce his new identity as a heavy, landing 12 hits and 7 PIM in his 4 exhibition outings. He was noticeably physical on the fore-check, engaging opponents and trying to land big hits. He impressed coach Bednar, who said that Stienburg is going to be on watch for call-ups this season. If this happens, he has proven that he can rack up banger stats in limited ice time, making him a worthy streaming option in those fantasy leagues. One of the most definitive “risers” coming out of Avs preseason. Hayden Soboleski

May 2024 – In his first full pro campaign, Stienburg took on the role of a tough depth player, different from his days in college as a scorer. He did fine in this role but did not lock down a full-time AHL spot or much fantasy hype, playing in just 54 contests and managing only 13 points as a bottom-six-er. He was held out of the playoffs due to an upper-body injury. The scoring upside may not be realistic but he has traded in points for PIMs, including 5 fights, which is an interesting development. All players need to be watched to track properly, but Stienburg in particular seems to be changing roles significantly as he adjusts to pro. Hayden Soboleski

September 2023 – Steinburg signed a 2-year contract with the Avs, despite an underwhelming tryout period in the spring. He projects to spend most of 2023-24 in the AHL bottom-six and will not be fantasy-relevant until he can repeat the peak production level he managed at the college level. Hayden Soboleski

May 2023 – Despite his productivity seeing a huge step backwards at Cornell University (just 7 points in 18 contests), Stienburg was signed to an ATO to get his first pro experience with the AHL Eagles. He saw 4 games in the regular season and 4 in the playoffs, putting up 2 assists in that time on the 4th line, where he was ultimately replaced by the end of the Eagles’ playoff run. Missing 2 months with a mystery injury adds a possible explanation for the sudden downturn, however a return to form is certainly still possible based on his increased shot volume now over 2 per game. Interestingly, he was used much more on the wing than at center ice at Cornell despite his previous success – watch out to see where he plays next year, the last before the Avs lose his signing rights. Hayden Soboleski

June 2022 – By season’s end, the big center Stienburg totaled 13 goals and 29 points in 28 games, not bad for a player who missed the entire previous season. Now listed slightly taller and heavier by Cornell, the pivot still has room to fill out and will likely remain in the NCAA for another season to prove this performance jump is for real before securing an ELC. Hayden Soboleski

December 2021 – Stienburg lost a year of college hockey to Covid despite some jumping around to try and dodge it, but now returned to the NCAA for the 2021-22 campaign he looks better than ever. His 8 goals and 10 assists in 11 games both lead his Cornell squad, and his 14 PIM aren’t far behind. He is averaging over two SOG/game, seeing first-unit PP time, and his goals are coming in clutch thanks to two OT winners already so far this season. These are good signs for fantasy owners keeping an eye on the former third-round pick. One knock to watch before he goes pro – his faceoff winning rate (currently 36%)  will need improvement in order to stay at center ice. Hayden Soboleski

September 2020 – Stienburg is changing leagues once again, moving from the NCAA to the BCHL. This will be the 4th league in three years for the soon-to-be 20-year-old who has gone from Canadian prep school hockey, to the USHL, to the NCAA, and now to the west coast. This has given him experience in a number of different systems which may have some value, but overall he hasn’t had the chance to carve out a role anywhere and has often been forced onto the RW as a result. He was an unexpected pick in the 3rd round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and isn’t looking promising from a fantasy perspective. Still, to go that high there must be belief in him somewhere in the organization and his family has hockey roots (his father was a Quebec Nordique) so hopefully this is just a case of slow and steady development in need of the right situation to find his ideal role on a team. Do not draft in any formats at this time. Hayden Soboleski