Ivar Stenberg just put tremendous pressure on Gavin McKenna and the clock is ticking

Ivar Stenberg's preseason dominance has put immense pressure on Gavin McKenna as the Maple Leafs youngster needs to now prove that he's the NHL's top rookie.

The biggest debate heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft was whether who would go first: NCAA phenom and human highlight reel Gavin McKenna, or the more reserved yet uber-talented Swedish standout Ivar Stenberg.

The Maple Leafs had their pick of the litter, and decided that the 'Wizard of Whitehorse' was their pick, leaving Stenberg to fall to second overall, heading to San Jose. Not too shabby though, considering he gets to play with incredible players like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Michael Misa among other powerhouse youngsters.

Ivar Stenberg just put the NHL on notice

It's going to be a dogfight as to who is the best rookie in the NHL this season, and while McKenna has looked great - Stenberg has been unreal.

The Sharks rookie put up a hat-trick in Thursday's preseason game and four points overall, helping lead San Jose to a staggering 10-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks.

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It wasn't just the fact that he scored a trio of goals, but the fact he did so with such power and accuracy, as each shot was an absolute nightmare for the opposing goaltender.

In his first game Stenberg also added an assist, bringing him to five points in only two preseason games, a great start for sure.

Yes, it's a very small sample size, but the fact that Stenberg is already making waves and showing some incredible offensive growth, it's going to make life a bit harder for McKenna to walk away with the Calder.

McKenna and Stenberg is the rivalry everyone has been waiting for

We are not going to compare McKenna and Stenberg to the rivalry that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux had, as those two were in a league of their own during a time when the game was completely different.

But the anticipation and excitement when they take the ice is on that level, as we have two outstanding offensive talents who are drawing more eyes to the league at the time when it's at its hottest.

The excitement that McKenna has brought to Toronto alone has got people itching to see him at every turn, and Stenberg has rounded out a San Jose team that could be absolutely deadly in a couple of years.

When the two face off in Toronto on Oct. 19, the entire arena is going to be focused on the two rookies as they battle it out. It's just the first of what is sure to be many meetings for the two whether it be in the NHL, and most likely, internationally.

But you can't deny the excitement these two young stars are bringing, and no matter who ends up being the 'better player,' we all get to enjoy seeing McKenna and Stenberg grow into the superstars we all expect them to be.

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