@Hockey Duckie you said "Solberg wasn't great defensively on his Norwegian team".
If this was true he wouldn't be anywhere near a NHL draft, and certainly not in the 1st round. His play at the World Championship is a big reason why the Ducks really wanted him. Verbeek called it an eye opener, and it's not just his physical game. Now playing 25-30 mins a game in the SHL indicates that he's a pretty good d-man already.
"What defines Solberg above everything else is his mean streak. He’s not content just repelling opponents. He wants them to be as close as possible, as it’s then easier for him to press his stick in their back. He inflicts pain every chance he gets, immobilizes opponents, and knocks them away from the front of the net." -EliteProspects 2024
If you're gonna quote me, then quote me correctly. Don't be cutting what I say out b/c you're apparently removing context. Make sure you get your facts straight, not bastardized. He's a 17-year old competing in a men's league because he's too good against his peers at the U18 and U20 leagues, but that doesn't mean he was great in a men's league.
Solberg wasn't great defensively on his Norwegian team, but that potential was there because he has been playing against them as a 16 and 17-year old. We can wait for Solberg to establish himself at the SHL level before we can say he's ready to move on. Big hits =/= control of the game. Minty went from the CHL to NHL in his D+2 season, but that dynamism went cold in the second half of the season.
Talking about getting facts straight, the SHL regular season has not started. It doesn't start until Sept 21st.
Solberg has yet to play in an SHL regular season game.
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Anaheim invested in Solberg's potential. Solberg isn't a finished product (partly b/c he's Norwegian), but he's got a lot more to develop. If Solberg were this great player you're describing now, then he would have been taken in the top-10 instead of being the 8th d-man selected at #23.
Solberg was identified being stronger than his U18 and U20 teammates, probably due to his physical makeup and playing physical. In his U18 and U20, Solberg has also shown the capacity to generate points at a point-per-game or higher, but that offense dropped drastically once on the men's team. There's a significant jump from U18, U20 to the men's club and it reflects upon his productions. The fact Solberg has been playing with the men's league in the past two seasons identifies his potential is high. The WC showed some flash in seven games, a small sample.
I love the Solberg pick over the Sennecke pick, but I also know "big hits/mean streak does not equal control of game" aspect. My standard for prospect d-men being bandied about as great defensively has to match up with Hampus Lindholm. Lindholm was promoted from the Rogle's J20 club to the men's club in HockeyAllsvenskan and was the reason they got into SHL qualification rounds (Kvalserien SHL) in his draft season. I want Solberg to develop as close to Hampus' defense as much as possible. That doesn't mean Solberg has to stay in the SHL for two years, but I'd rather take my time to develop Solberg's overall defense as well as tap into that hidden offensive potential. He can stew in the AHL for a year or two b/c NA does play a lot heavier game than the European leagues. Although, I'm not fond the Ducks AHL and NHL development programs right now. I'd like Solberg to be more than a 3rd pairing basher, which means we should take our time to develop him to maximize his potential.
Brock Faber took three years to develop in the NCAA, earning and winning accolades along the way. In his first year in the NHL, he established himself as a top pairing D. That's the kind of debut I'd want for Solberg, not some hype about early pre-season in the SHL.