Projecting Team Sweden's lines at the World Cup
Heading into the remodeled World Cup of Hockey, Team Sweden owns one of the most experienced rosters in the tournament.
Sweden boasts a promising combination of youth and experience up front, and the talent on the blue line is flat-out remarkable.
Swedish NHL legends Mats Sundin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Peter Forsberg, and Daniel Alfredsson are among the advisors that helped pick the roster, and here's how we imagine the lines will look when Sweden opens its tournament Sept. 18 versus Russia.
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Mikael Backlund | Nicklas Backstrom | Gabriel Landeskog |
| Carl Hagelin | Filip Forsberg | Patric Hornqvist |
| Daniel Sedin | Henrik Sedin | Loui Eriksson |
| Rickard Rakell | Marcus Kruger | Jakob Silfverberg |
| Carl Soderberg |
With more centers and left wingers than on the right side, Sweden's roster will require some tinkering.
Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom is the team's top center, and can be flanked by Mikael Backlund, who set a career high with 47 points last season, and was chosen as a replacement for the injured Henrik Zetterberg. Gabriel Landeskog rounds out the unit, forming a defensively responsible, yet offensively gifted top line.
The Sedin twins have the international experience, but Sweden needs to provide Filip Forsberg ample ice time for maximum production. Alongside Forsberg are Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist, while Loui Eriksson can ride shotgun with the Sedins to establish some preseason chemistry for the Vancouver Canucks.
Anaheim Ducks duo Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg round out the wingers, while Marcus Kruger and Carl Soderberg will likely split time as the fourth line's pivot.
Defense
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Erik Karlsson |
| Victor Hedman | Anton Stralman |
| Mattias Ekholm | Niklas Hjalmarsson |
| Hampus Lindholm |
Wow.
Erik Karlsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are two of the games finest puck movers, and are sure to create magic as a duo.
Teammates Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman can solidify the blue line as a 1A pairing, while the rock-solid Niklas Hjalmarsson should be slotted with one of two steadily emerging stars in Mattias Ekholm or Hampus Lindholm.
Goalies
| G |
|---|
| Henrik Lundqvist |
| Jhonas Enroth |
| Jacob Markstrom |
No surprises here, "The King" will be between the pipes for the Tre Kronor, and will be a key factor in how far this team goes.
Power Play
| Unit | LW | C | RW | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forsberg | Backstrom | Hornqvist | Karlsson | Hedman |
| 2 | D. Sedin | H. Sedin | Eriksson | Ekholm | Ekman-Larsson |
Backstrom can commandeer a man-advantage with the best of them, and he'll surely control the top unit. Forsberg steps in for added offense, while Karlsson and Hedman can play on their opposite sides for one-timer opportunities.
Penalty Kill
| Unit | C | F | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger | Hagelin | Hedman | Stralman |
| 2 | Forsberg | Eriksson | Ekholm | Hjalmarsson |
Kruger is likely to be called upon for high-leverage faceoffs, and can stay on the ice as a reliable penalty killer. Hagelin's speed is always a threat, and the familiarity of Hedman and Stralman should bode well for Sweden while down a man.