Stenberg had a hand in five of San Jose's last six power-play goals
Ivar Stenberg played 72.0 percent of San Jose's power-play time over the last five games. In ten games he has no five-on-five point, and San Jose has been outscored 8 to 1 at five-on-five with him on the ice.
Ivar Stenberg's production has moved to the power play. Over San Jose's last five games he had a point on five of the club's six power-play goals, and he was on the ice for 72.0 percent of its power-play time. At five-on-five he still has no point in ten games.
The Oct. 12 look covered his first five NHL games. This one adds the five since, Oct. 13 to Oct. 20. He has no NHL season before this one, and Sweden has no tracking data, so there is no year-over-year column. The one outside comparison is Michael Misa's first ten NHL games of 2025-26, and Misa is a centre. "Chances" below are MoneyPuck's expected goals.
The power play#
Through five games Stenberg had 8:11 of San Jose's 23:29 on the power play, 34.8 percent. Over games 6 to 10 he had 23:25 of 32:32, 72.0 percent. Across ten games that is 31:36 of 56:01, 56.4 percent, and 3:10 a game, fourth among San Jose's 13 forwards behind Macklin Celebrini, Alexander Wennberg and Will Smith.
The points came with the time. San Jose has eight power-play goals on 33 opportunities. Stenberg had a point on one of the two in games 1 to 5 and on five of the six in games 6 to 10. Against Boston on Oct. 13 he scored one and set up Celebrini for another. At Detroit on Oct. 17 he set up Dmitry Orlov and then scored. At Montreal on Oct. 20 he made the primary pass on Celebrini's four-on-three overtime winner. His six power-play points are two goals and four assists, and all four assists are primary.
NHL Edge has him in the offensive zone for 62.6 percent of his power-play time, at the 86th percentile, against a league average of 50.6.
Five-on-five#
The Oct. 12 look found his role growing before his five-on-five results did. The results have not arrived. He has no five-on-five point in ten games, and San Jose has scored once and allowed eight at five-on-five with him on the ice: 0-2 in games 1 to 5, 1-6 in games 6 to 10.
The role has shrunk at five-on-five. He averaged 13.8 five-on-five minutes a game in games 1 to 5 and 10.8 in games 6 to 10, by game 11.0, 9.8, 9.6, 8.5 and 14.9.
The first look also found that his chance share was the team's. Over games 1 to 5 San Jose had 33.9 percent of the five-on-five chances with him on the ice and 34.3 percent without him, 0.4 points apart. Over games 6 to 10 it had 37.7 percent with him in 53.9 minutes and 58.2 percent without him, a gap of 20.5 points. Chances against with him on the ice rose from 2.30 per 60 five-on-five minutes to 4.00. His own five-on-five shot attempts went from 6.1 per 60 to 8.9.
His most-used five-on-five line, with Misa and Kiefer Sherwood, has 37.0 percent of the chances over 42.4 minutes in six games, and goals of 1 for and 4 against. MoneyPuck's line file gives season totals only, not dates. Over all ten games Stenberg is at 36.2 percent with San Jose at 47.1 without him, over 122.6 five-on-five minutes.
| Measure | Games 1-5 | Games 6-10 | Ten games | Misa, first 10 of 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-on-5 minutes per game | 13.8 | 10.8 | 12.3 | 9.7 |
| 5-on-5 chance share, him on | 33.9% | 37.7% | 36.2% | 42.6% |
| 5-on-5 share, team without him | 34.3% | 58.2% | 47.1% | 49.3% |
| 5-on-5 on minus off (points) | -0.4 | -20.5 | -10.9 | -6.7 |
| 5-on-5 goals for-against, him on | 0-2 | 1-6 | 1-8 | 6-5 |
| 5-on-5 own attempts per 60 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 7.3 | 12.4 |
| Share of team power-play time | 34.8% | 72.0% | 56.4% | not built |
| Power-play points | 1 | 5 | 6 | not built |
The skating#
The Oct. 12 look put his top skating speed in the bottom fifth of the league pool. That reading has reversed. A maximum only rises as games are added, so the fair test of his own is five games against five. His fastest skate in games 1 to 5 was 20.72 mph. His fastest in games 6 to 10 was 21.65, against Boston, and, ranked by speed, four of his five fastest skates of the season came in games 6 to 10. In this season's league pool, where every skater has a similar handful of games, he has moved from the 17.9th percentile to the 49.6th, against a league average of 21.68. Misa's fastest through his first ten games of 2025-26 was 21.90.
His bursts between 20 and 22 mph went from 3.8 per 60 all-situations minutes in games 1 to 5 to 6.0 in games 6 to 10, with none over 22 mph in either window. The distance has not moved: 9.83 miles per 60 all-situations minutes over ten games, 64.5th percentile, against 9.79 and 57.4th after five. His average shot speed is 55.05 mph, at the 50.8th percentile.
The rating#
The site's hockey card for this season withholds his rating. At its Oct. 19 refresh, after eight games, he had 99.2 five-on-five minutes against the card's 200-minute floor. This season's Pine Net Rating, a season total, has him at minus 2.13, 17th of 20 rated San Jose skaters. Through five games it had him at plus 0.49.
My Sept. 12 call has him in at least 11 of San Jose's first 13 games, and it resolves Oct. 28. He has dressed for 10 of 10.
The arguments against me#
- Five games is five games, and this is the real one. The 20.5-point gap is 53.9 five-on-five minutes, and the 1-8 goal count is nine goals. Misa was 6.7 points below his team through his first ten NHL games last season and finished 45 games level, 49.7 percent with him and 49.4 without.
- The team without him got its best player back. Celebrini missed Oct. 5 and Oct. 8, two of the first five games, and played all of games 6 to 10, so San Jose's share without Stenberg rose with Celebrini in it. Celebrini also scored or assisted on all five of the power-play goals Stenberg had a point on in games 6 to 10.
- His most-used five-on-five line has another 19-year-old on it. With Misa and Sherwood he is at 37.0 percent over 42.4 minutes, and a ten-game on-ice number belongs to his linemates as much as to him. Over all ten games he is at 36.2 percent, and San Jose without him is at 47.1, in 122.6 five-on-five minutes.
Sources: NHL Edge (2026-27, and 2025-26 for Michael Misa); the NHL's game logs, game summaries and stats feed; MoneyPuck's season, line-combination and game-by-game files (2026-27, and 2025-26 for Misa); the site's hockey card and this season's Pine Net Rating.
