Markus Soberg

History

2009-10: Markus Soberg skated in ten games with Manglerud’s U17 team in Norway as a 14-year-old. He scored 10 goals with 8 assists and 14 penalty minutes in eight regular season games and had 2 goals and 1 assist with 10 penalty minutes in two playoff games.

2010-11: Soberg split the season between Sweden’s U18 league and Manglerud’s U19 and U17 teams in Norway. He also played for Norway’s U18 team along with his older brother, goalie Steffen Soberg, at the 2011 World Junior Championship. Markus Soberg scored 7 goals with 7 assists in 10 games for MODO in Sweden with 18 penalty minutes. In 17 games with Manglerud’s U19 team, including three playoff games, he scored 25 goals with 15 assists and had 26 penalty minutes. He played 13 regular season games for the Manglerud U17 team, scoring 22 goals with 20 assists and amassing 106 penalty minutes. Manglerud captured the U17 championship and in seven playoff games Soberg scored 9 goals with 7 assists and 6 penalty minutes. In six games at the U18 WJC he scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was minus-8 with 4 penalty minutes.

2011-12: Soberg moved to Sweden full-time, playing for Frolunda’s U20 and U18 teams, and represented Norway in the 2012 U20 and U18 Division 1A World Junior Championship tournaments. In 25 games with Frolunda’s U20 team he scored 5 goals with 5 assists and was plus-3 with 14 assists. He scored 26 goals with 16 assists and was plus-37 with 26 penalty minutes in 27 U18 regular season games. Frolunda won the 2012 U18 bronze medal and Soberg scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was plus-2 with 6 penalty minutes in four playoff games. Norway captured the bronze medal at the U20 D1A WJC and Soberg was plus-1 with no points and 4 penalty minutes. He played five games for Norway’s U18 team, which finished second, and scored 3 goals with 5 assists; finishing with an even plus/minus and 4 penalty minutes.

2012-13: Soberg spent the bulk of the season with Frolunda’s U20 team and represented Norway at the U20 and U18 levels for the second year. He scored 10 goals with 16 assists in 36 SuperElit league games and was plus-29 with 20 penalty minutes. In six playoff games he scored 5 goals with 1 assist and was plus-3 with 4 penalty minutes. He played nine games for Frolunda’s U18 team, including two playoff games, and scored 7 goals with 5 assists, finishing plus-6 with 10 penalty minutes. Norway won a gold medal at the 2013 U20 Division 1A World Junior Championship, earning elevation to the top group, and in five games Soberg scored 1 goal with 5 assists and was plus-4 with 2 penalty minutes. Norway’s U18 team was second in its tournament, with Soberg scoring 8 goals and 5 assists in five games and finishing plus-11 with 10 penalty minutes. Ranked 82nd amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings, Soberg was selected by Columbus in the sixth round (165th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.

2013-14: Soberg made his debut in Sweden’s SHL — skating in a March 8th game with Frolunda — and was the second-leading scorer for the club’s U20 team. He played for Norway in the 2014 U20 World Juniors. He recorded one shot on goal with no points nor penalty minutes in two minutes of ice time in his only SHL game. Soberg scored 21 goals with 17 assists in 45 regular season games for the Frolunda U20 team and was plus-18 with 40 penalty minutes. Frolunda finished first in the SuperElit Top 10 but was defeated by Orebro HK in a preliminary round best-of-three series. Soberg scored 1 goal with 6 penalty minutes and had an even plus/minus in three playoff games. He had 1 assist and was minus-1 with 4 penalty minutes in five games for Norway at the WJC. Soberg was selected by Windsor in the first round (34th overall) of the 2014 CHL Import Draft. 

2014-15: Soberg skated in 61 games for the Windsor Spitfires in his first season in North America and played for the Norway U20 team at the 2015 Divion 1A World Junior Championship. He scored 13 goals with 17 assists and was -16 with 26 penalty minutes with the Spitfires. Windsor finished fifth in the West Division, missing the OHL playoffs. Soberg scored 3 goals with 3 assists and was +2 with 2 penalty minutes in four games at the D1A WJC as Norway finished second to Belarus at the tournament in Asiago, Italy. 

2015-16: Soberg returned to Windsor following off-season surgery to correct a hernia condition, playing in 22 games for the Spitfires as a 20-year-old before returning to Norway at the end of December. He eventually joined his older brother Steffen Soberg with Valerenga in the GET-ligaen. He scored 1 goal with 3 assists and was -1 with 6 penalty minutes in 13 regular season games for Valerenga. Soberg scored 3 goals with 5 assists and was -2 with 10 penalty minutes while skating for the Spitfires. 

Talent Analysis

Soberg’s speed is what makes him stand out on the ice. He has great hands and a ton of energy when the puck is on his stick. He needs to finish growing but has a tall frame and should bulk up over the next few years. His biggest area of improvement is his off-the-puck play. A big scorer at the junior level in Sweden he is steadily adapting to the more physical, competitive nature of hockey in North America.

Future

Soberg began the 2015-16 season with Windsor playing as an overage 20-year-old before returning to Norway in December 2015. Yet to sign a contract with Columbus (who retain his rights), Soberg could compete for a spot with AHL affiliate Lake Erie next season but is equally likely to remain in Norway or possibly play in the more competitive SHL or Allsvenksan in Sweden. He possesses some two-way ability but at this point Soberg is fairly low on the radar in the Columbus organization.