Soon enough, Washington Capitals fans will know who they will be taking with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. They could draft a few different positions in that spot. If they go defense, a couple of names to consider include Adam Jiricek and Carter Yakemchuk. Another blueliner who is getting plenty of attention ahead of the draft is Stian Solberg, who has grown his game in the Vålerenga program for the last few seasons. He would be another potentially solid draft option should general manager Brian MacLellan call his name on June 28.
Becoming Well-Known with Vålerenga
Solberg was born on Dec. 29, 2005, in Oslo, Norway. Like fellow 2024 Draft choice Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Solberg spent some seasons with the different teams on the Vålerenga club. His first season was with the U16 team in 2019-20. He played in 23 games for the squad and accumulated 20 points in 23 games (three goals and 17 assists). He split his second hockey season there between the U16 and U18 groups. The 2020-21 campaign saw Solberg play significantly fewer games. He played in a combined 13 games between the two groups. He notched seven assists in four games with Vålerenga U16, while the U18 squad saw him collect 11 points in nine games.
The first big opportunity for Solberg was during 2021-22 when he got to play for the main Vålerenga roster in the EliteHockey Ligaen (EHL) for the first time. He also played for the U18 and U20 programs that hockey season. He posted the following stats with each of these programs during that time:
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U18: one goal and three assists for four points in four games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga U20: two goals and six assists for eight points in 11 games
- 2021-22 Vålerenga (EHL): one assist in 11 games
Solberg continued to get better and produced the following numbers for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 regular-season campaigns:
- 2022-23 Vålerenga U20: two goals and three assists for five points in two games
- 2022-23 Vålerenga (EHL): one goal and three assists for four points in 18 games
- 2023-24 Vålerenga (EHL): five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 42 games
On top of that, Solberg played for the U20 Vålerenga club’s 2022-23 postseason and the EHL squad’s playoff run in 2023-24. The stats are below for those:
- 2022-23 postseason Vålerenga U20: one goal and one assist for two points in three games
- 2023-24 postseason Vålerenga (EHL): two goals and seven assists for nine points in 17 games
The 2024-25 season will be Solberg’s first in years not playing for Vålerenga. He will be suiting up for the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team Färjestad BK, who has had alumni playing in the NHL like former Calgary Flames winger Håkan Loob. It will be interesting to see how Solberg handles the league change and what his production looks like.
Solberg’s Positive Game Qualities
There is a lot to like about Solberg. The first thing that sticks out is his work ethic. Writer Peter Baracchini talked in his article “Stian Solberg – The NHL Draft Prospect Everyone Should Know About,” about how Solberg was able to make a solid impression during the second half of this past season. Baracchini wrote, “…Stian Solberg made a late push in the second half in order to improve his draft stock and be a first-round selection. We always see players make their case in the last few months heading into the NHL Draft. However, Solberg managed to catch everyone’s attention and even standout at the NHL Combine in Buffalo, New York. In a first round that can see a number of defenders selected, Solberg could possibly hear his name on Day 1 of the draft and for good reason.”
Related: Red Wings 2024 Draft Targets: 5 Defensemen
What were the qualities that stood out to scouts? Baracchini wrote about Solberg’s quality of defense as well as his physical style of play. He said, “A lot of factors come into Solberg’s draft stock increase. He’s a very smooth skater and has some decent offensive upside with his transitional play. He’s very strong defensively, showing great gap control and the ability to keep players to the outside. However, it’s his physical play and ability to be a “throwback defender” that stands out. Playing with that edge and tenacity is a staple of his game and he knows it.”
Aaron Vickers of NHL.com talked about the physical aspect of Solberg’s game too, and NHL forward and fellow Norwegian Mats Zuccarello got to see his game firsthand when they were teammates in the World Championship. He wrote in his piece “Solberg brings physical play, ‘warrior soul’ into 2024 NHL Draft,” where he said, “Solberg (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) has a reputation for being difficult to play against, attributes he was able to showcase while playing with Valerenga in EliteHockey Ligaen, Norway’s top professional men’s league…’He’s got some swagger,’ said Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello, a teammate with Solberg at the World Championship. ‘He’s going to be a really good player if he keeps developing the way that he has. I’m really impressed with his game. He’s got grit. He’s got skill. He has that extra swag to him. He’s kind of got it all. I think he’s going to be a real good player. As long as he keeps being humble and working hard, I think he’s going to be a real steal in the draft.’”
Lastly, Tony Ferrari from The Hockey News wrote a piece back in May discussing Solberg along with Brandsegg-Nygård and another 2024 Draft choice Konsta Helenius. All three players suited up at the World Championship for Norway. Ferrari wrote about Solberg, “While the base of Solberg’s game remains his physicality and defensive ability, we have seen his willingness to participate on the breakout, make efficient passes up ice and use his skating to make an impact as a support player in the offensive zone.” He also added later, “Considering Solberg skates well, has some size and has shown development with the puck on his stick throughout the year, he could be a legitimately solid pickup in the late first round. His offensive game will likely never pop, but his defensive game should.”
Solberg has worked hard to potentially become a first-round selection. If he somehow does not get picked until Round 2 the next day, whoever gets him is getting a first-round quality talent. He does a lot of the right things. His game is only going to get better too joining the SHL and going up against a different level of competition. That will potentially bring out the best in him.
Fitting with the Capitals
Washington’s defense will be changing soon. The franchise’s best blueliner in John Carlson only has so many seasons left to go before he officially calls it a career. Like in the case of Alex Ovechkin eventually retiring, MacLellan and his staff need to prepare for life without Carlson. They need to find a player to be one of their next top defenders. Solberg will not be able to replace Carlson’s style of play, but he can try to become a number-one or number-two NHL defender. His physicality will make opposing players hate matching up against him.
As things stand right now, the only defenseman currently locked up long-term for the Capitals is Rasmus Sandin, who is signed until 2029. Beyond that, anything could happen with the Washington blue line. Carlson’s contract is up after the 2025-26 season and he could possibly call it a career after that. Nick Jensen and Trevor van Riemsdyk also have their deals up following the 2025-26 campaign. On the younger side of the position, Alexander Alexeyev will be a restricted free agent in 2025, while Martin Fehervary will be restricted in 2026. There is no reason to think now that Alexeyev or Fehervary would leave the Capitals once these deals are up. MacLellan should be able to get both contracts done.
There will be holes in the defense even with Sandin, Fehervary, and Alexeyev in Washington long-term. Solberg could be one of the choices to help fill those vacancies on the backend. He can help set the tone with his physicality and play a nice role on the ice for the organization. If MacLellan and his staff go for a defenseman in the 2024 Draft, do not be surprised if Solberg is who they decide to take. He is one of a few defenders they could take at that position.
