The Case For Stian Solberg

As we slowly creep closer to the NHL Draft, we will focus on players who should be in range for the San Jose Sharks pick at number 14. With the Sharks having all but selected Macklin Celebrini already, the focus on what to do at 14 is the real intrigue for Sharks fans.

Stian Solberg
Defenseman
6'2" 201 pounds
Birthday: December 2005 (18)
Left-handed

Many have called the Norwegian defenseman the most violent player in the 2024 NHL Draft class. If you love murder children, then this is your defenseman. Stian Solberg is known for his physicality. He isn't afraid to play the body and physically intimidate his opponents. In the below clip, he takes out 6'2", 206 pound forward Calvin Thürkauf and then has Gaëtan Haas (6'0", 180 pounds) bounce off of him like a child trying to hang onto a raft at a wave pool.

As great as the physicality is, there is way more to Solberg's game. He is an intelligent player who knows what play to make at the right time. Plenty of players look to make the big hit but take themselves out of the play when they do it. You don't see that with Solberg. He's physical but isn't reckless.

While Solberg played weaker competition in the Norwegian professional league, he played a lot, racking up nearly 30 minutes a night. He is moving to the SHL next season to play on Färjestad BK, where he should have a more manageable amount of minutes each night. His contract is

Solberg will never be confused with Erik Karlsson in how he plays hockey, but his offense is an underrated skill with room to grow. He needs to look to make the simple play rather than force plays that can lead to turnovers, but this area should clean up as he gets more quality reps against better competition in the SHL.

There is a lot of projection for Solberg and his ceiling. Solberg will need time to develop his skills, but the floor of a rugged shutdown defenseman to add to the Sharks pipeline might be worth it for Mike Grier, especially if there is a defensive run.