Rangers can’t ignore Ivar Stenberg after entering Sedin territory before draft

Once the Olympic break ends, it will be back to business for the New York Rangers, who have a matter of days until the March 6 trade deadline. The team is retooling and must capitalize on trading away players to gain draft capital. Given they sit in last place in the Eastern Conference by a pretty wide margin, it only increases their odds of potentially winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

If the Rangers do happen to land one of the top two selections, they will have the chance to select Sweden's Ivar Stenberg, who, along with Gavin McKenna, is considered the best of the class. The Rangers may have been given more reason to draft Stenberg if they happen to be in position to do so.

On Thursday, Stenberg officially passed Niklas Lindholm to sit alone as the third all-time leading scorer in the SHL among draft-eligible players. The only players that are ahead of him are Daniel Sedin (42) and Henrik Sedin (34 points). These stats were pointed out by Cam Robinson of Elite Hockey.

Ivar Stenberg's latest accomplishment shows he's can't -miss prospect for Rangers

Stenberg reaching third on the all-time list with just 35 games played is pretty good. And the fact that he is close to reaching the territory set by the Sedin twins, two Hockey Hall of Famers, is good news, especially for any team that is in position to select him with a top two pick.

Stenberg believes his game can be compared to Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, but he's received comparisons in Sweden, whether from fans or his coaching, to Niklas Backstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Mats Naslund.

Here is what The Athletic's Scott Wheeler said about Stenberg in his draft profile (subscription required):

"...Ivar’s puck skill, offensive instincts, hockey IQ, scoring and playmaking package are all high-end. He makes guys miss with the puck on his stick, beats goalies one-on-one with his handles regularly and has both a lethal wrister release and a confident one-timer that give him quick-strike ability and power-play pop. He’s not an explosive skater, but he’s a good one who beats guys wide with speed, escapes pressure and is agile on cuts and changes of direction, building through his crossovers or forward strides to play a direct, straight-line game. He’s also a heady passer and facilitator who sees the ice at a very advanced level, is creative, puts pucks into space and can pick teams apart on the power play when they focus too much on him. Off the puck, he’s got good offensive and defensive instincts to get open or cut off passes. He'll also make effort plays and hustle, and has worked to do both more consistently."

For the Rangers, they have a 22-29-6 record for 50 points in 57 games, good enough for last place in the Eastern Conference. The thing is, they don't have the worst record in hockey, however. They have the third-worst record. The Vancouver Canucks are in dead-last place in the entire NHL with a 18-33-6 record with 42 points through 57 games. The St. Louis Blues own the second-worst record with at 20-28-9 with 49 points through 57 games. But with the lottery, it's not a given that either will win the No. 1 pick. Whichever team has the worst record only receives a 25 percent chance of securing the top selection.

The Rangers need all the help they can get, especially if they continue to fall further down league standings. The pro roster is a mess and their minor league farm system is a disaster, as the Hartford Wolfpack are near the bottom of AHL standings! Bringing in a can't-miss prospect like Stenberg if they are to win the lottery would not only help the team, but also give Rangers fans something to be excited about.