logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Why the Canucks cannot pass on Ivar Stenberg: Canucks Conversation
alt
Photo credit: © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Clarke Corsan
May 26, 2026, 12:40 EDT
Comments
On Monday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed why they believe the Vancouver Canucks cannot afford to pass on Ivar Stenberg if the Swedish winger is still available at third overall in this year’s NHL Draft. 
“There’s no world where the Canucks should be drafting Caleb Malhotra over Ivar Stenberg if he’s available,” Quads said. “If Stenberg is on the board, you run to the stage and take him.”
Harm agreed, while also acknowledging why Malhotra’s stock has climbed so significantly in recent months.
“It’s not to discredit Malhotra,” Harm said. “He’s risen a lot for the right reasons.”
Part of that appeal is how quickly Malhotra’s game has developed.
“The rate of improvement for him… he’s not just rising but he’s been on a rocket-ship trajectory,” Harm said. “If he’s improving at that rate and we’re talking about him now like he’s a high-end 2C, maybe that conversation is different six months from now.”
Still, despite Malhotra’s growth, Harm made it clear he would not pass on Stenberg’s combination of production and long-term upside.
“That said, I just wouldn’t pass up Ivar Stenberg,” Harm said. “He’s got an elite production profile over there in Sweden, he’s got a really likeable all-around game, producing points at the World Championship for Sweden. I think Stenberg is closer to McKenna than anyone else is to Stenberg in that next tier.”
The discussion then shifted toward positional value, particularly the idea that teams often prioritize centres and defencemen over wingers at the top of the draft.
“Centres and defencemen are more valuable so you see teams reach for them,” Harm said. “But if you’re in the Canucks’ shoes that would be a mistake because you need everything right now – not just one position.”
Harm pushed back on the belief that elite wingers are easy to acquire.
“This idea that wingers are easier to acquire; it’s true if you’re talking middle-six guys,” Harm said. “But if Stenberg hits, you’re hoping he becomes a Lucas Raymond, and you couldn’t pry Raymond from the Red Wings. Even though he’s a winger and not a 100-point producer, he’s still an elite first-line winger and that distinction matters.”
Quads added that overthinking positional need could lead the Canucks into making a major mistake.
“Passing on him would be an unforced error,” Quads said. “You can’t let things that happen in just a draft year sway you too much.”
“We said the same thing about McKenna on the flip side at the start of the year when he struggled out of the gate in the NCAA,” Quads continued. “He’d been projected number one overall since he was 13 years old so let’s all get a grip, and sure enough he figured it out.”
That same logic should apply to Stenberg.
“With Stenberg, the conversation has been ‘is he going number one or number two,’” Quads said. “How have we gotten to this point of him maybe going number four? If it gets to the point where Stenberg is on the board at third overall, and you galaxy brain it to the point where you say, actually we need a centre in our pipeline so we’ll pass on him, you’ve made a mistake.”
Harm acknowledged there’s always a chance another player eventually turns out better, but emphasized that teams can only make decisions based on the information available today.
“There’s a case where five years from now Malhotra is the better player, but we don’t have a crystal ball,” Harm said. “You’re playing the probability and making your best educated guess.”
“At this stage,” Harm added, “I’d feel more confident betting on Stenberg’s track record than Malhotra. Malhotra is incredible but Stenberg is just a notch higher.”
Watch the full replay of the show below!
Sponsored by bet365
Canucks ConversationShows

Breaking News