Sweden's Olympic hockey team is set to take on the challenge of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, with NHL.com's predictions for their lineup. The tournament, featuring NHL players for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, will see all 12 teams compete in a single-elimination playoff format.
Team Sweden, in Group B, will kick things off against Italy on February 11th, followed by Finland and Slovakia on the 13th and 14th, respectively. Despite announcing their roster in January, NHL.com's senior writers, Amalie Benjamin and Tom Gulitti, offer their insights into the team's potential forward lines, defense pairs, and goalie depth chart.
Forwards:
- Jesper Bratt, Mika Zibanejad, William Nylander
- Filip Forsberg, Elias Pettersson, Lucas Raymond
- Adrian Kempe, Joel Eriksson Ek, Rickard Rakell
- Gabriel Landeskog, Elias Lindholm, Alexander Wennberg
- Pontus Holmberg
- Marcus Johansson
Defensemen:
- Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin
- Gustav Forsling, Erik Karlsson
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Rasmus Andersson
- Philip Broberg
- Hampus Lindholm
Goalies:
- Filip Gustavsson
- Jacob Markstrom
- Jesper Wallstedt
The team's lineup has seen some changes since the initial announcement. Leo Carlsson, an emerging superstar, has been replaced by Marcus Johansson due to a thigh injury. This shift has led to a reevaluation of the forward lines, with Zibanejad moving from the third line to the first, reuniting him with Bratt and Nylander. Nylander's return from a groin injury has been impressive, contributing four points in his last two games. The second line features Lucas Raymond, Forsberg, and Pettersson, who played well together at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The defense pairs have also undergone adjustments. Victor Hedman, a Norris Trophy winner, is ready to play after recovering from surgery. Jonas Brodin, unfortunately, will miss the tournament due to a lower-body injury. Erik Karlsson and Rasmus Andersson are the only right-handed shots, requiring a left-handed player to play on their off side. The top pair of Hedman and Dahlin is expected to perform well, and the pairing of Karlsson and Forsling at the 4 Nations Face-Off was successful.
In goal, Filip Gustavsson has been the standout performer, with a strong season and a solid goals-against average. Jacob Markstrom, despite some inconsistency, brings valuable experience from his NHL career. Jesper Wallstedt, a rookie, has been pushing for playing time, but his recent performance has been less impressive.
As the tournament progresses, these predictions will be crucial in shaping Sweden's success on the ice.
