2025 World Juniors Preview: Team Sweden is seeking revenge
Is there a more snakebitten team in this tournament?
From the the 54-game round-robin win streak failing to yield results when it matters to the four consecutive championship game losses, the Swedes continue to find creative ways to fall short.
The team will have some familiar faces returning this year – most notably Otto Stenberg and Axel Sandin Pellikka. The lineup is primarily made up of players that saw Sweden take home medals at the past two U-18 World Championships, so they’ve proven they can be competitive.
But will it be enough to finally take home gold – something they’ve only done twice ever despite almost always being a medal threat?
Looking Back to 2024
Hopes were high on home ice last year, and Sweden almost delivered. The Swedes went 3-0-1 in the round-robin, only losing in a final game against Finland that required a shootout. The victory against Canada on Dec. 29 helped solidify the team’s top spot in Group A, giving them a favorable quarterfinal matchup. It didn’t come easy, though, requiring overtime to beat Switzerland. The Swedes then cruised to a 5-2 victory over Czechia in the semifinal before ultimately losing 6-2 to the United States – a physical bout that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The loss marked the fourth time they fell in the final since they last won gold. Losing on home ice had to sting – so they’re going to want to use this as motivation to kick some rear ends in Ottawa this time around.
Goaltenders
After getting two starts a year ago, Melker Thelin is set for a promotion as the team’s No. 1 this time around. The Utah Hockey Club product has had a dominant year, posting a near-perfect record in the second-tier Swedish league and a 3-0 record with the Swedish U-20 team. For the most part, he has had some standout performances while wearing the yellow and blue. They’ll be leaning on him to stay hot in Ottawa.
If things do start going sideways, they could always lean on New York Islanders pick Marcus Gidlöf. The 19-year-old was seen as one of the top goalie prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame and great positional awareness. He has split the season between the SHL and Swedish U-20 league and has been excellent against older competition. Having someone with his skill as the backup definitely won’t hurt.
The Swedes aren’t bringing a 2006-born keeper this year (2007-born Love Harenstam is expected to challenge for the starter’s gig next year), so 19-year-old Melvin Strahl will get the call as the No. 3. You could do a lot worse than having one of the USHL’s top goalkeepers as your third-stringer – he’s been perfect over the past month. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect has never represented the Swedes at an IIHF event, but he’s a legitimate goalie prospect just stuck behind some other quality talent.
Defensemen
It’s always good to have a bit of familiarity – and Sweden’s top two defenders from a year ago are back. Axel Sandin Pellikka has been making Detroit Red Wings fans giddy with the prospect of seeing him in the NHL in the next few years. The skilled, puck-moving blueliner was named top defenseman at this event a year ago and has a realistic opportunity to become just the second player in tournament history to win it twice after Slava Fetisov took the title in 1977 and 1978.
His play with St. Louis Blues draft pick Theo Lindstein benefited both parties. Lindstein was a late addition to the roster, but he was such a two-way force. With ASP manning the right side, look for Lindstein to play all situations for Sweden on the left side. He’s playing full-time with Brynas, and while he’s not doing a ton offensively, he’s still one of the more skilled puck-rushing defenders you’ll find at this tournament.
Another returnee is Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander. The 19-year-old is having another solid year at Boston University and will hopefully continue that trend when he makes his final junior hockey tournament appearance. Eventually, he’ll be a Western Conference rival with Calgary Flames pick Axel Hurtig – but here, the idea of pairing a playmaking defender like Willander with more of a shutdown threat in Hurtig is intriguing. At 6-foot-5, Hurtig demands your attention, so you can’t give him time to take your space away.
Deeper down in the lineup, look for Viggo Gustafsson to bring a physical presence. The Nashville Predators prospect has spent the past few weeks playing in the SHL on a full-time basis, although primarily as a seventh defenseman. On this team, look for Gustafsson to be tasked with blocking shots and banging bodies every single game.
Sweden is bringing Montreal Canadiens prospect Rasmus Bergqvist to be a shutdown presence this year. He hasn’t scored in the SHL this season, but he has played a lot more than many other defenders his age have managed to do this year in the SHL. That experience could come in handy.
While Sweden doesn’t have the most skilled blueline, it’s a diversified group. You’ve got the skill and speed of ASP and Lindstein, the puck-moving option in Tom Willander and the physical forces that are Hurtig and Gustafsson. They should be a tough group to battle in front of the net, and they’ll need to be if they’re going to cause damage in the medal round.
Forwards
Remember when Otto Stenberg broke through with a hat-trick against Germany last year? It was the highlight from an outstanding game for the St. Louis Blues prospect that saw him register a point in all seven games. Stenberg is back and looking even better – he has nine points in nine exhibition games with the Swedes this year. He’s also on pace to double his scoring output in the SHL this year, which doesn’t hurt. Look for Stenberg – who seems to always be incredible internationally – to be one of the driving forces of this group.
Recent Nashville acquisition David Edstrom should be the No. 1 center – which, if you’ve seen him play with Stenberg in the past, shouldn’t be surprising. They had an outstanding showing together at the 2023 U-18s, with Edstrom providing the two-way play. He’s having an excellent SHL campaign too – 30 points is definitely on the table in his second full season with Frolunda.
2025 NHL Draft prospect Victor Eklund should challenge for a top-line spot – more on him later. But if he doesn’t, look for Carolina Hurricanes prospect Felix Unger Sörum to take the spot. He’s having a quiet year offensively with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, but he’s a buzzsaw that does so much on the ice every single night. The Hurricanes really believe in him, and I think he could be one of the top players in the World Juniors this year if he finds his groove early.
One of Sweden’s more underrated players might be Predators product Felix Nilsson. The two-way center is having a solid year with Rogle and has had a notable positive impact with the Swedish U-20 team this year despite not having many points to show for. I like him in a second-line role, just like I do with Anton Wahlberg. The Buffalo Sabres prospect is playing decently with Rochester in the AHL, bringing some solid energy and power-forward tendencies. He might not be one to just knock over everyone he sees, but Wahlberg is strong and tough to contain on the rush when he gets moving quickly.
Speaking of size, Herman Träff is an interesting option deeper down in the lineup. The New Jersey Devils third-rounder hits everything in sight and has looked good at all levels this season. Sure, ice time has been tough to come by in the SHL in recent weeks, but Träff never lacks effort when he brings his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame onto the ice.
Two centers to keep an eye on – for this year, and next – are Linus Eriksson (Florida Panthers) and Jack Berglund (Philadelphia Flyers). Eriksson is a reliable, two-way forward who might not score often, but he might be the best pure playmaker on this team. Berglund, meanwhile, is a massive 6-foot-4 power forward who has quite a bit of skill, but mostly does his damage in tight spaces up close.
2025 NHL Draft
Eklund is the lone first-year eligible draft prospect on this team, but he is easily one of the most important. The younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, Victor is having an excellent season with Djurgardens in the second-tier Swedish league to help put himself in top 10 contention. In fact, there’s a realistic chance he pushes himself into the conversation for the top five sooner rather than later. Eklund has an outstanding shot, plays with a ton of intensity and is always scanning the ice to make a pass when a shot doesn’t make sense. If you wanted to bet on which draft-eligible player will finish the highest in tournament scoring across all teams, Eklund is a great option.
Projection
Sweden has made it to the final four the past three years and this year shouldn’t be different. Having their massive round-robin win streak die a few years back seemingly took the pressure off the Swedes, but they still haven’t found a way to win gold since 2012. On paper, they might not be as good as Canada or USA, but they’ve got key pieces from their 2024 team back and ready to play even bigger roles this time around. Look for Sweden to win Group B and advance to the semifinal – but they’re going to need their offense firing on all cylinders if they’re going to finally take the top step of the podium.
Round-Robin Schedule
Dec. 26 vs. Slovakia: 12:00 PM ET
Dec. 27 vs. Kazakhstan: 5:00 PM ET
Dec. 29 vs. Switzerland: 12:00 PM ET
Dec. 31 vs. Czechia: 5:00 PM ET
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