4 Nations Face-Off team preview: Sweden
Watching future Hall of Famers like Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson go through their prime without many opportunities to play best-on-best hockey has been frustrating—and frankly, unworthy of their talent.
Since NHL games are mostly played in the middle of the night in Sweden, it’s difficult for casual fans to build a strong connection with players who move overseas. Tournaments like the 4 Nations could help change that—if they are held more regularly than they have been over the past decade.
So, in a way, there’s more at stake here than just hockey.
That said, marketing your stars becomes a lot easier when you achieve some level of success. A win or two would go a long way. But getting there won’t be easy, especially considering how this season has played out for some of Sweden’s expected key players…
PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Jesper Bratt – Mika Zibanejad – William Nylander
Filip Forsberg – Elias Pettersson – Lucas Raymond
Adrian Kempe – Joel Eriksson Ek – Rickard Rakell
Gustav Nyquist – Elias Lindholm – Viktor Arvidsson
Scratch: Leo Carlsson
Defensemen
Victor Hedman – Rasmus Dahlin
Gustav Forsling – Erik Karlsson
Mattias Ekholm – Rasmus Andersson
Scratch: Jonas Brodin
Goalies
Filip Gustavsson
Linus Ullmark
Scratch: Sam Ersson
OFFENSE
Should we call Sweden the “Donut Team” of the 4 Nations? Plenty of substance on the edges but a hole in the middle. That’s disrespectful to established centers like Mika Zibanejad, Elias Pettersson, and Elias Lindholm. Still, it’s hard to ignore that all three have had their fair share of struggles this season and enter the tournament with question marks hanging over them. On top of that, Joel Eriksson Ek has missed significant time due to injury—far from ideal conditions for a position often considered the most important in hockey.
Based on what we’ve seen this season, the wingers must shoulder much responsibility. Fortunately for the Swedes, several players could be up for the task. William Nylander will likely play a key role in that. The fact that he was named an alternate captain speaks volumes about the respect and trust the coaching staff has in the Toronto Maple Leafs star. Alongside the consistently underrated Adrian Kempe and Nashville’s Filip Forsberg, he will be crucial in ensuring that Sweden can put the puck in the net.
Jesper Bratt and Lucas Raymond are expected to contribute among the younger players. Bratt established himself as a star in the shadow of Jack Hughes, while Raymond had his big breakthrough with the Red Wings, cementing himself as their offensive leader.
Sweden has a few players on defense who can jump into the rush — most notably Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin. It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff distributes power play minutes among the three.
DEFENSE
“It’s old, but it’s good,” as Neil Young once sang. Sweden’s defense is, by all means, the biggest strength of this team. Sure, some of the players are approaching the later stages of their careers, but despite closing in on 35, you can’t accuse Victor Hedman or Mattias Ekholm of slowing down. Having a probable top four consisting of Hedman, Dahlin, Karlsson and Gustav Forsling is a luxury.
Hedman is having a stellar season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He won’t be a Norris finalist like he used to be, but he continues to prove that he can be relied upon in every situation. Being named team captain is a clear sign that he’ll be Sweden’s top dog on defense. Dahlin is used to playing on the right side with the Buffalo Sabres, so he could slot in next to Hedman to form one of the tournament’s best defensive pairings.
Karlsson is, as always, a divisive figure. Some fans question his place on the team, while others see him as invaluable—there never seems to be any middle ground when it comes to him. Pairing him with a defensive stalwart like Forsling or Mattias Ekholm makes sense, allowing him to play to his strengths and be an offensive force to be reckoned with.
The fiercely competitive Rasmus Andersson is having a fantastic season with the resurgent Calgary Flames. He should get the nod ahead of Jonas Brodin, who has struggled with injuries of late.
Among the forwards, there’s no shortage of reliable two-way players. Joel Eriksson Ek is a nuisance to play against, while Adrian Kempe and Elias Lindholm can be trusted with shutdown duties if needed.
All in all, defense is the least Sweden needs to worry about.
GOALTENDING
From strength to weakness? That might be a bit of a stretch, but losing Jacob Markström was a huge blow to the team. At the time of his injury, the New Jersey Devils veteran was on track to earn the starting job for Sweden. Now, the situation is much less clear.
Linus Ullmark has just returned from a long injury absence, while Filip Gustavsson’s numbers have dropped significantly after a strong start to the season.
If Ullmark puts together a few solid performances before the NHL pauses its schedule, he could very well be Sweden’s go-to guy in net.
COACHING
Sam Hallam enjoyed great success on home soil, leading Växjö Lakers to three Swedish championship titles between 2015 and 2021. As head coach of the national team, his results have been mixed in his first two years at the helm—an early exit in the quarterfinals at the 2023 World Championship followed by a bronze medal last year.
What will be interesting here is how he adapts to coaching on North American ice, both with and against NHL players. He has admitted that he’s eager to see how the games will play out because, to be honest, he isn’t entirely sure himself.
Having Daniel Alfredsson and Josef Boumedienne on his staff should help ease that transition.
BURNING QUESTION
Who will be the offensive dynamo?
With the center position being a question mark, Sweden will need to generate offense from the wings, where their true game-breakers are.
In a short tournament like this, someone needs to catch fire and be a constant threat. The most obvious candidate to shoulder that responsibility is William Nylander. He tends to turn into a superhero when wearing the yellow and blue jersey, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ended up as Sweden’s top scorer.
Lucas Raymond might be the dark horse. He’s arguably playing the best hockey of his career with the Detroit Red Wings right now. Equally effective as a playmaker and a scorer, that versatility will be a valuable asset here.
PREDICTION
So, we finally get to see the best Swedish players gathered for the first time since 2016. Yay! But maybe, just maybe, it’s two or three years too late.
Don’t get me wrong—seeing these players together is a privilege. It’s just that this season hasn’t gone particularly well for some of the key names.
Could that change in a different environment than the one they have with their club teams? The Swedish coaching staff certainly hopes so. The opportunity to build chemistry is obviously limited due to time constraints. Still, since most of these guys are already familiar with each other, it’s more about creating a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere to help everyone settle in.
If this tournament were decided by star power alone, the Swedes wouldn’t stand a chance against Canada or the U.S. But luckily for them, this isn’t a best-of-seven series. Great goaltending and lucky bounces will be needed to beat the odds.