Top International skaters discussed ahead of 2026 NHL Draft

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be held June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at the top eligible International prospects in a Q&A with NHL Central Scouting director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Ivar Stenberg and Alberts Smits are clearly the two top players available among International skaters for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, according to NHL Central Scouting director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen.

Stenberg (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), a left wing with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters. Smits (6-3, 209), a defenseman with Munchen in Deutsche Eishockey Liga, is No. 2.

"The ability to score goals was a key factor in putting Stenberg ahead of Smits," Vuorinen said. "Stenberg was (closely watched) in past seasons, so maybe that was a small mental factor for us, but the key factor was that Stenberg scored well in the Swedish Hockey League."

Stenberg also was No. 1 in the midterm ranking released in January. The 18-year-old had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games for Frolunda, the most points in a season by an 18-year-old SHL player since Daniel Sedin (42) and Henrik Sedin (34) in 1998-99. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) and averaged 18:54 of ice time in eight games for Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

Smits, who played for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league, and Munchen of Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the top professional league in Germany, this season, could be the highest-selected Latvian player in NHL draft history.

"Smits is also a very fast riser this year and he had an excellent season in two top men's leagues," Vuorinen said.

He was the youngest player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he had two assists in four games while averaging 18:44 of ice time. He had five points (one goal, four assists) in five games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, leading Latvia in time on ice per game (23:40), and finished with four assists and averaged 21:47 of ice time at the World Championship in May.

Zemgus Girgensons, a forward who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, became the highest-drafted Latvia-born player when the Buffalo Sabres selected him with the No. 14 pick of the 2012 NHL Draft.

To break down the international prospects further, here are six questions with Vuorinen:

Could Ivar Stenberg and Alberts Smits each play in the NHL as early as next season?

"Stenberg can play in Europe's top leagues and Sweden's national team, and he was an obvious selection to the World Championship in Switzerland. So based on this success, he could even be the No. 1 selection in the whole draft this year. We'll see. I like to compare him to Chicago Blackhawks forward Anton Frondell, even though they are different types of players. Anton was drafted No. 3 in 2025 and had great success in the NHL right away this season. I feel Stenberg is an NHL-ready player. Is Smits NHL ready? I think it depends on who drafts him, but I feel he can definitely play in the NHL just because he's got so much potential. He's mentally strong and knows how to use the advice given to him."

What do you like about center Oliver Suvanto (6-3, 213) of Tappara in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league? What might he ultimately bring to an NHL lineup?

"He's a very fast riser and he proved in Finland's top league that he's a legitimate two-way forward who can play solid minutes night after night. From what I've heard, he's a monster of training as well. He just loves the gym. The problem is his scoring, but when it develops, and it will, he has the potential to play in an NHL lineup and on the top lines."

Center Viggo Bjorck (5-9, 180) of Djurgarden in the Swedish Hockey League was a real standout at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship for gold medal-winning Sweden. People are going to point to his stature, but he doesn't seem to be a player that has any backdown in his game. How close is he to being a guy you would look to as an NHL player and what have you liked about him?

"This was our concern as well when we spoke about Viggo ... when we saw him play this season and in earlier seasons. He's the guy who can survive everywhere he goes, even though he's a smaller body. He showed it in the Swedish Hockey League and also with the men's national team at World Championship. He's like a Sidney Crosby-type player, where his hockey intelligence and spatial awareness in tight areas make him so effective. In speaking with the Swedish coaches, they are convinced that he will be a solid NHL player."

Right wing Elton Hermansson (6-0, 182) tied for the scoring lead (12 points; four goals, eight assists in seven games) at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and was named the tournament's best forward. What stands out about his game and how much of a boost can having that kind of tournament on that stage give him when it comes to the NHL Draft?

"What we saw during the season about him was excellent, but I was a bit worried after seeing his ice time with MODO in Allsvenskan the last few games. In the Under-18 Worlds, he proved those concerns were wrong. He might be one of the top prospects in this draft in stick handling and deking because he has the ability to carry the puck through traffic and create space for teammates, making him a constant threat. On the power play, we all saw how his one-timer and quick release were working. He has good vision and patience and he manipulates defenders. His skating is smooth and agile, and I feel these elements will make him a great NHL player. The defensive game might not be NHL level yet, but if he can develop that, he'll be a (heck) of a player."

Defensemen Juho Piiparinen (6-2, 204) of Tappara in Finland and Malte Gustafsson (6-4, 203) of HV71 in Sweden are two big players in this draft class. How do you think each of them were able to do what they did this season and how high in the draft could they go?

"There are many really good defenders from the North American side in this year's draft, but I feel that these European defenders, including Alberts Smits, all have first-round potential. They are very passionate guys. Piiparinen and Gustafsson each practice a lot on their own, so their goals are very clear. They have very special skills. They can pass the puck cleverly, even when they are bottled up along the boards and that's a good skill in the NHL. Both play a poised game, which they have already shown in the top men's league, and they have very good basic skills to grow as NHL players. Both are familiar with playing big minutes, and that's also important."

What player haven't we discussed who you might consider a strong candidate to go in the first or second round and play a big role in the NHL one day?

"Left wing Niklas Aaram-Olsen (6-0, 185; No. 15 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters) from Norway had a great season in Sweden's Under-20 division with Orebro Junior (40 points; 20 goals, in 29 games). He played a dominant role (10 points; six goals, four assists, in five games) to help Norway win the Division I-A tournament in December, which will enable his country to play in the 2027 World Junior Championship. I would compare him to another Norwegian, Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who was drafted No. 15 in 2024. Niklas can shoot the puck, has a nose for scoring chances and can really produce. He had a season that, to me, makes it a possibility to take the next step next year."