Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN /
Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2026 NHL Draft season is well under way, and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult, perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable, and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.
This is SWEDEN
Felix Robbins - Regional Swedish Scout
Ivar Stenberg
Left Wing - Frölunda HC (SHL)
6-foot-0, 181 pounds, Shoots: L
Without a doubt, Stenberg enters the season as one of the most highly anticipated Swedish prospects of his generation and a consensus lottery pick for the 2026 NHL draft. In spite of that pressure on his shoulders and sheltered minutes, Stenberg has delivered a knockout performance so far this season tallying 2 goals and 7 assists in just 11 SHL games. He’s only playing 13-15 minutes per game, but Frölunda has been consistent in their belief that slow and steady wins the development race. At some point, with his level of play, Stenberg will force their hand.
Stenberg is one of the most purely skilled players in this draft class, behind only Gavin McKenna. His puck handling and hockey IQ make him a constant playmaking threat in the offensive zone. He is patient and deceptive with the puck on his stick and rarely wastes his puck touches. His vision and timing are elite and his passing ideas are so darn smart. His small area skill helps him protect pucks along the wall and even let him make plays to the slot from that position. His shot is a laser as well. The offensive package is a dream. What’s more is his approach to creating offence is so process oriented and consistent that there’s no fear of his scoring not translating.
Stenberg’s ability to play through contact and his strong body positioning puts to rest any concerns of him being “soft”. His work rate on the forecheck and away from the puck is perfectly adequate. He may be a stick-first defender rather than take the body, but that stick is accurate and well-timed. His board play and physical resilience is getting better with every game and should not be any cause for concern in the future. He needs to fill out, of course, but what teenager doesn’t?
A fair criticism of Stenberg is that he doesn’t currently have the footspeed of a truly elite offensive winger. His skating is fine in general, but he lacks escape speed and relies on quick passes to connect plays in transition rather than carrying it himself. He’s surviving fine in the SHL, but he’ll need to add some quickness and explosiveness to his step to reach his ceiling in the NHL. Another thing is that he’s got a very early birthday so his development runway is a little shorter. However, that’s a moot point for a player as advanced as Stenberg. He is already a high-level player in the SHL scoring at a record-breaking pace and could be a top line offensive winger in the NHL.
VIDEO
A beautiful cross-ice pass by Stenberg (#41 Red) to a trailing teammate with a world of space in front of him. Stenberg’s deception from his hip pocket has the whole opposing team turned towards him thinking he’ll shoot, only for him to pass it at the last second.
Stenberg (#41) gets hit with a great pass and makes no mistake. Quick release and pinpoint accuracy.
Stenberg (#41 Red) goes to the net and gets rewarded. He just barely outmuscles the defender and gets enough space to tuck home a great feed on the doorstep. Who says he doesn’t compete?
Stenberg (#41 White) isn’t really known for his defensive contribution or coast to coast puck carries, but here we see him make a terrific play down low in his own end and skate the puck all the way to the offensive zone. A straight-line approach, sure, and he runs out of room, but encouraging to see him make attempts.
Elton Hermansson
Right Wing – MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan)
6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Shoots: R
Hermansson put on a show at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament, scoring 11 points in 5 games and looking otherworldly while doing so. He has been a dazzling offensive talent on most scouts’ radars since he was a 14-year-old. He’s consistently played at level well above his age group and put up tons of points while doing so. Despite raising some eyebrows, his offseason move from Orebro to hometown club MoDo falls in line with this pattern. He’s already made his HockeyAllsvenskan debut and put up five points in six games in limited minutes, but he should be getting every opportunity to earn a more prominent role as the season goes on.
If you want creativity and flash, then look no further. There is no greater magician with the puck than Hermansson when he’s on. He can dangle guys out of their jock one on one and freeze the goalie. He can pick apart defensive structures with ease with his tactical passing and deceptive handles. He can pick his spots and absolutely rifle the puck home. He even goes to the net. Sometimes he can try to do too much himself, but Hermansson is the guy you want to get the puck to in the offensive zone because he’ll make plays happen and create offense like it’s nothing. The ceiling is sky high. One could argue lottery pick territory. However, Hermansson comes with some risk.
The catch is that he isn’t the most well-rounded or the most defensively responsible player. Winning the puck back from his team is a work in progress. He’s smart, he can throw his weight around, and he can chip in defensively when he wants to. He just has that Nylander-esque streak of passiveness and low energy away from the puck that can really frustrate.
Playing against men in the HockeyAllsvenskan has taught him some hard lessons about what sort of compete level you need bring (and bring consistently) to be successful at the pro level. He has applied himself much more on the forecheck than he has at the U20 level. The hope is that he’ll mature as he gets more reps. I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen so far but work rate away from the puck is going to be something to keep an eye on.
VIDEO
Hermansson (17 Yellow) completely bamboozling three USA defenders and almost scoring. Love the skill-speed combo here.
Beautiful snipe by Hermansson (17 Red). Below the glove and above the pad, the spot most modern snipers can hit consistently.
A frustrating sequence to watch, even if you could argue that play wasn’t close enough to Hermansson (67 white) to be his responsibility. It’s more the body language. He looks completely disengaged. All too common, based on my viewings.
Hermansson (#71 White) chipping in defensively, taking the puck carrier to the boards and tying up his stick for an easy looking takeaway. Even if it doesn’t look like he’s working that hard, I’ll take more of this please!
Jonas Lagerberg Hoen
Right Wing – Leksands IF U20
6-foot-2, 176 pounds, Shoots: R
Lagerberg Hoen shot the lights out in his draft minus one season, tallying 27 goals and just 3 assists at the U20 level. That made for a very interesting profile heading into his draft season. Is he a one-tricky pony or did he just have weird luck? After a white-hot start to his draft year (9 goals, 16 points in 9 games), it turns out it was weird luck. Lagerberg Hoen is a legitimate play driver and goal scorer extraordinaire. He’s playing 22+ minutes a night and the PP runs through him. At the rate he’s going, it won’t be long before he’s playing some minutes in the SHL.
Like the other two players mentioned in this article, he’s an on-puck dominant winger with high-end offensive tools. What sets him apart from the other two is his impressive skill-speed combo. He’s one of the quickest and most explosive skaters in the region from the 2026 draft class. Naturally, that makes him a strong puck carrier. He reads the ice at a high level which lets him make well timed cuts to open ice for high danger shots. It also lets him push the defenders back on their heels away from the puck in transition, making him a lethal rush attacker.
His shot is among the best in the region as well. It’s a laser that he can locate at will. He can lift the puck in tight. He can put it right over the goalie’s shoulders from the hash marks. The puck is on and off his stick in an instant off the pass. The quality of his shot isn’t the only reason he’s scoring goals, though. Lagerberg Hoen can drives the net and deke the goalie thanks to his quick hands. His control from his edges and strong puck handling ability opens up a ton of space for him. He could stand to use his teammates more, but there’s so much to like about his offensive toolkit. It screams top 6 potential.
The drawbacks are similar to the other prospects mentioned earlier. Lagerberg Hoen doesn’t give you much off puck, at least not consistently. His overall work rate and energy is fine, but he doesn’t take those extra few steps on the forecheck or backcheck to really get on guys and make their life difficult. Nor does he apply his frame all that well in puck battles. He throws his body around and gets his stick in lanes defensively, but he can also be undisciplined. Maturity, both physically and mentally, must happen. However, he’s still an incredibly fun watch and I’m optimistic about his NHL future.
VIDEO
Some impressive speed and hands on display here from Lagerberg Hoen (#9 white), going end to end for this rush goal.
Lagerberg Hoen (#9 blue) doing it all himself. Starting to understand how he scored so many goals and so few assists.
This is probably the best effort I have seen from Lagerberg Hoen (#9 White) on the forecheck so far this season. Despite his light weight, it’s evident he has some jam to him. He’s got to figure out a way to apply himself like this consistently.
Some of that lack of discipline mentioned earlier. A very needless penalty by Lagerberg Hoen (#9 White) as he commits a stick infraction in the offensive zone killing the play instantly. Typically, his hockey IQ is pretty good, but this was a lowlight.
Simon Johansson - European Video Scout
Viggo Björck
Center / Right wing - Djurgårdens IF
5-foot-10, 172 pounds
The hockey world has been talking about Viggo Björck for quite some time. His last season did not disappoint either, breaking the scoring record at the U20s in Sweden. Viggo is a dynamic offensive forward that possesses one of the greatest hockey IQs of his age group. However, by starting the season off with the newly qualified team to the SHL, Djurgårdens IF, Viggo has displayed other traits that might surprise you if you’ve watched him only from last year.
Viggo has mainly been playing bottom six minutes and his linemates are more of the type of grinders and two-way forwards. Not exactly the perfect environment for a high-end scorer. But Viggo has displayed great off-puck play and has surprisingly adapted himself to being a two-way, energy winger. Being able to adapt to a new role this quickly while simultaneously playing against one of the best men’s leagues in the world just shows you how high of a hockey IQ Viggo possesses. He’s shown great compete, forechecking frenetically, winning puck battles behind the net, and even shown some physicality by throwing his weight around.
Some other traits that have stood out are his skating ability and transition play. Viggo’s got good edgework, being able to make sharp turns and maintain good pressure in his forecheck following the puck carrier. Even though he has pretty good acceleration and top end speed, he has issues at times creating separation speed. Improving his lower body strength should be a priority for him in the coming future. In transition he has been impactful in limited ice time. With his speed it’s difficult to contain him coming through the neutral zone and he has been creating plenty of rush chances this way.
You definitely don’t want Viggo playing 4th line minutes all season long. If you play someone as a fourth liner, you will get a fourth liner. Viggo’s potential has always been suited for a top nine role, where his two-way game can affect play the most. However, playing against men was probably the wisest decision for this season. He has already proven that he can handle the physicality and if he can continue to show well in that department, he’ll remove a lot of doubt from scouts.
VIDEO
#61 in the clip
Despite needing to work on his lower core strength, he displays good acceleration and decent top end speed to create a chance on his own.
#61 in the clip
Here Viggo shows great compete and frenetic forechecking to eventually win the puck battle and get the puck to the slot.
#61 in the clip
Viggo lacks size and it’s going to be a main concern when drafting him, but at least he’s willing to use his body to win pucks like in this clip.
#61 in the clip
He starts the rush chance by creating speed through the neutral zone, makes a superb pass across the ice by scanning the ice beforehand, which eventually ends up as a goal for Djurgården.
Viktor Åhlund - Swedish Regional Scout
Nils Bartholdsson
Forward - Rögle U20
5-foot-10, 174 pounds
Nils Bartholdsson is a Swedish forward recognized as one of the more promising players from Sweden’s 2008-born class. After watching Bartholdsson live for more than 20 games last season combined with a strong start to 25/26 he earned a spot on my top 3 list of early season favorites.
Bartholdsson has consistently demonstrated strong offensive instincts and possesses the ability for stepping up in decisive moments. His offensive production at the junior level reflects both his scoring touch and his ability to create plays for his teammates.
Bartholdsson’s most notable attributes lie in his hockey sense and composure under pressure. He reads the game well, anticipating both puck movement and defensive gaps. His wrist shot is quick and accurate, allowing him to finish plays from the slot or off the rush. His lethal release has resulted in 6 goals in 9 games so far this season and is Rögle's most efficient weapon on the power play with his one-timer. While not an overly flashy stickhandler, he is effective at maintaining puck control through tight spaces and uses small and smart adjustments to protect possession.
Skating is an area where Bartholdsson shows good potential. His stride is efficient and balanced, though he still has room to add explosiveness in his first few steps. He is still filling out physically and is not among the larger players in this year’s draft group, but he competes hard and isn’t afraid to engage along the boards or in front of the net. He brings a high level of energy every game and has a sharp edge to his game that is difficult to teach. His compete level has been on display since last season and remains strong this season, a key attribute that NHL scouts will highly value.
Defensively Bartholdsson shows responsibility and an understanding of positioning, but consistency remains a work in progress. Continued development in this area will make him a more complete two-way forward.
Overall, Bartholdsson is a skilled and intelligent winger with scoring upside. After watching him live for 20+ games I am confident to say that If he continues to refine his skating and physical game, he could evolve into a top-six forward at the professional level, capable of contributing offensively while maintaining reliable two-way habits. It's just a matter of time before we will witness Bartholdsson making his SHL debut with Rögle BK’s pro team.
VIDEO
Bartholdsson weaves through traffic with impressive control, showcasing his agility
and fine stickhandling before setting up his teammate, who buries the puck past
the goalkeeper. An exceptional play from Bartholdsson.
It would be unfair to label Bartholdsson as Rögle’s most effective power play
weapon, known for his devastating one-timer, without providing evidence,
so here’s the play that says it all.
This sequence highlights Bartholdsson’s defensive awareness and work ethic.
After a turnover on the rush, he shows great determination by skating back, using his body to close off a passing lane, and effectively tying up his opponent’s stick to support his goaltender in making an easy save.
Bartholdsson shows his determination to score and compete. He fires a shot, battles for the loose puck in front of the net, and when it goes to the boards, he keeps fighting to win it back, allowing Rögle to maintain possession and stay on the attack.
Axel Elofsson
Defense - Örebro HK
5-foot-10, 163 pounds
Axel Elofsson is one of the top defensive prospects emerging from Örebro HK.
Born in 2008, the 17-year-old blueliner has already made a name for himself in the U20 series last season with 32 points in 38 games followed up with a strong Hlinka Gretzky tournament this August.
His combination of poise, skating ability, and offensive awareness sets him apart among Swedish defenders in his age group. Elofsson’s game is built around calm decision making and technical skill. He moves the puck efficiently, rarely panicking under pressure, and prefers to find controlled exits or short passes over dumping the puck away.
Elofsson's skating is fluid and balanced, allowing him to join the rush with confidence and still recover defensively. His mobility also makes him effective in transition, both carrying the puck up ice and defending against counterattacks. Offensively, he’s already shown strong production from the blue line this season, 15 points in 9 games so far is highlighting his vision and playmaking skills. Elofsson possesses the ability to quarterback the power play and has been doing so through all my viewings so far this season.
Defensively Elofsson is learning to adjust to the faster pace and physicality of bigger and stronger opponents. While his reads are generally sound, maintaining positioning and managing risk when jumping into plays will be key areas of growth. Like many players his age, he’s still maturing physically and does not have the size of other top prospect defensemen like Malte Gustafsson or William Håkansson. Added strength will help him handle board battles and sustain intensity throughout a full season.
Elofsson's opening of this season has been up to expectations and he has the tools to become a modern two-way defenseman at pro level If he continues to refine his defensive consistency and build on his natural puck sense.
VIDEO
Elofsson showcases his smooth skating and slick puckhandling, carrying the puck from his own end through traffic and nearly finishing off what would’ve been a highlight-reel goal.
Elofsson absorbs a hit to make a play in his own end, then supports his team through the neutral zone. After briefly losing the puck, he quickly recovers by cutting off the passing lane, regains control, and calmly carries it back into the defensive zone. With poise, he waits for his teammates to skate to open space before delivering a perfect cross-ice pass.
A great sequence from Elofsson, who actively joins the offensive play.
He leaves his position at the blue line to drive toward the net, then quickly recovers his position, staying available as a passing option. When Örebro re-enters the offensive zone, the puck finds Elofsson, and he delivers a calculated wrist shot through traffic that finds the back of the net.
Excellent defensive work from Elofsson, who steals the puck and shakes off his opponent with impressive edgework and mobility before making a clean breakout pass. As play transitions forward and his team loses possession, Elofsson reads the situation perfectly, regains puck control in the neutral zone, and follows up with one of his signature cross-ice passes.
Malte Gustafsson
Defense - HV71
6-foot-4, 198 pounds
Malte Gustafsson is a prospect raised in Tingsryds AIF, a small society in Småland, Sweden with a strong hockey culture. He’s one of the top defencemen coming out of Sweden this draft year. As a young player joining the HV71 team, he has displayed an uncommon blend of composure, mobility and offensive ambition for a player his age, something that I already took notice of last season. Despite still developing physically, he frequently shows up in key positions and contributes to his team’s play by joining the rush, making good decisions with the puck, and reading the game effectively, and last but not least, a solid puck carrier in break outs.
What stands out about Gustafsson is his willingness to take calculated risks. He’s not content to simply defend and clear pucks, instead he pushes the pace, looks to move the puck up ice, and is prepared to jump into the attack when the opportunity arises. His offensive numbers reflect that, opening this season with seven points in nine games in the U20 National, that shows that he’s not simply keeping things safe and simple, but also contributing offensively. Gustafsson possesses a good wrist shot and uses it effectively, taking calculated shots from the blue line, often through traffic.
On the defensive side, he shows maturity beyond his age which makes him an asset for any team and someone who can do almost everything on the ice for a player in his category, contributing both in power play and boxplay. He reads situations well, uses his stick and positioning rather than relying solely on physical power even though he has the size to do so. In my opinion, Gustafsson’s the most defensively skilled defenceman coming out of Sweden in this year’s draft class
Moving forward, Gustafsson’s path is still open and filled with possibility. For him the development focus will likely include gaining strength, sharpening his one-on-one defending against faster forwards, and continuing to refine his decision making under pressure. If he keeps progressing, he could become a reliable two-way defenceman at the pro level. Gustafsson is a young blueliner to keep an eye on this season, solid in his defending, productive in offence, and with those traits he’s the kind of player that clubs look for when building for the future.I'm confident that Gustafsson will soon make his debut in the SHL where we will see how his game translates into the pro level stage.
VIDEO
Gustafsson demonstrates his effectiveness and shooting ability on the power play. He controls the puck at the blue line, moves laterally to create space, then steps into an opening and releases a precise wrist shot that finds the back of the net.
This is just one of several power plays where he executes the exact same sequence with the same level of precision.
Gustafsson displays strong defensive awareness and composure, maintaining control of the play by adjusting his speed, steering his opponent wide, and using body to recover the puck.
Another strong defensive play from Gustafsson, who reads the situation well and adjusts his pace to steer his opponent toward the boards before delivering a clean, well-timed body check, a perfect example of how effectively he uses his size.
Battling for the puck in the defensive zone, Gustafsson finds himself surrounded by opponents but remains composed. He fakes one way, makes a smooth turn to evade pressure, and delivers a simple, smart pass, showcasing impressive maturity and poise for his age.