Maple Leafs’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson praises Ivar Stenberg as Toronto holds decision with 1st overall

The odds were in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ favour on Tuesday night, winning the draft lottery to secure the right to the first overall selection during the 2026 National Hockey League Draft.

The Maple Leafs’ management went from not knowing whether they would even select in the first round to being on the clock first when the timer begins on June 26 in Buffalo. The question now for new general manager John Chayka and senior hockey advisor Mats Sundin is, who will the Maple Leafs select?

The two players that seem to be the favourites for the first overall selection are forward Gavin McKenna and forward Ivar Stenberg. While McKenna feels like the favourite among many circles, a current Maple Leafs defenceman is making his pitch to Stenberg about playing in Toronto.

According to Robin Olausson of hockeysverige.ca, Oliver Ekman-Larsson joked (or did he?) about recruiting the 18-year-old forward, as they could potentially be spending the next two weeks together competing for Sweden at the World Championships in Switzerland.

“Yeah, I’m trying to recruit him a little bit,” Ekman-Larsson said with a smile as Stenberg walked by in the arena corridors.

The World Championships are set to close out what has been a strong year for Stenberg. The forward spent his season with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. As one of the youngest players in the league, Stenberg recorded 11 goals and 22 assists, finishing in a tie for fourth most points with 33 among all Frolunda skaters.

Stenberg was a star for Sweden at the World Juniors, posting four goals and six assists over seven games, en route to a gold medal in Minnesota. During Sweden’s three elimination games, Stenberg was at his best, picking up two goals and three assists, taking over the tournament at the best time, helping Sweden claim gold for the first time since 2012. Ekman-Larsson was impressed by what he had seen from Stenberg to this point in the season.

“He’s a fantastic player. He really showed that at the World Juniors, which I watched, but also here with the national team,” said Ekman-Larsson, who serves as captain for Tre Kronor. “He’s not here just to be here — he’s here because he belongs at this level and wants to contribute. I feel the same way about all the junior players here. They don’t play like juniors; they just go out there and play. They contribute so much. It’s really fun getting to know them, being around them, and seeing them up close. It’s fantastic.”

For many young players who are touted to go early during the NHL, now would be an easy time for them to look ahead and set their sights completely on the next step in their hockey career. For Stenberg, he remains focused on competing for a spot to represent his home country at the senior level for the first time in his career.

“I want to play in the World Championship for Sweden right now, and I’m not thinking about the draft at all,” he said. “It’s only the World Championship and continuing to stay here and play that’s on my mind.”

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