Predicting a 2025 Team Sweden World Cup of Hockey Roster

Adam Proteau predicts what a 2025 Team Sweden roster could look like if the NHL moves ahead with an international tournament.

The NHL’s recent announcement it is planning to stage a World Cup of Hockey style of tournament in February of 2025 puts the hockey world on the clock – it will be less than 18 months until the event takes place. Before that, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association will have to name rosters for the tournament.

Given Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, the NHL and NHLPA will have to address the predicament for the next World Cup with an approach that’s worked to deal with Russian players in other sports – namely, the decision to play as Russians without using Russia’s name or flag. We’ve been moving ahead with roster predictions for a 2025 World Cup – late last week, we posted our picks for Team Canada’s roster; Saturday, we projected the American team’s roster; and Sunday, we posted a projected Russian roster. 

Today, we’re looking at what Team Sweden’s roster will probably look like.

Always bear in mind there are going to be unforeseeable changes to every team’s roster, as injuries and competitive changes will create job spots for some and take them away for others. However, by and large, the makeup of the teams we’re focusing on will be straightforward – the most talented players of every nation should be the ones representing their homeland.

Goalies: Linus Ullmark, Filip Gustavsson, Carl Lindbom

Other options in goal: Anton Forsberg, Jesper Wallstedt, Jacob Markstrom

Defense: Erik Karlsson (RD), Rasmus Andersson (RD), Mattias Ekholm (RD), John Klingberg (RD), Victor Hedman (LD), Rasmus Dahlin (LD), Hampus Lindholm (LD), Jonas Brodin (LD)

Other options on defense: Gustav Forsling (LD), Rasmus Sandin (LD), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (LD)

Forward: Elias Lindholm (C), Mika Zibanejad (C), Joel Eriksson Ek (C), Leo Carlsson (C), William Nylander (RW), Jesper Bratt (RW), Rickard Rakell (RW), Viktor Arvidsson (RW), Elias Pettersson (LW), Filip Forsberg (LW), Adrian Kempe (LW), Gabriel Landeskog (LW)

Other options at forward: Nicklas Backstrom (C), Mikael Backlund (C), Jakob Silfverberg (RW), Lucas Raymond (RW), Gustav Nyquist (LW), Andrei Burakovsky (LW), Victor Olofsson (LW)

The Swedes have more than their share of offensive wizardry up front, and they also have the highly effective two-way games of Lindholm and Eriksson Ek. 

There’s a bit of a logjam down the middle, which is why we’re moving Pettersson from center to the No. 1 spot on left wing. There’s also somewhat of the changing of different generations for Sweden, with longtime superstar Backstrom pushed down the depth chart and to the outside of the roster looking in, and youngsters including Dahlin, Carlsson and Lindbom being part of the long-term plan for the team.

However, with elite point producers such as Bratt, Nylander, Kempe and Zibanejad to rely on, the Swedish team will not be wanting on the offensive end. A top line of Pettersson and Nylander on either side of pivot Elias Lindholm will be especially dangerous, as will a second line of Zibanejad centering Bratt and Forsberg. The third line of Eriksson Ek centering Rakell and Kempe won’t be shabby either, and the fourth line of Carlsson, Arvidsson and a (hopefully) healthy Landeskog will put pressure on opponents’ defenses.

Similarly, on defense, with a first-pairing of Hedman and Karlsson, Team Sweden has top-end point producers. Andersson and Dahlin will be solid at both ends of the rink. Ekholm and Hampus Lindholm will make for a better-than-average shutdown pairing. And Klingberg and Brodin will form the fourth and final pairing. There aren’t a slew of options beyond those names, especially at the right-shot ‘D’ position, so good health will be paramount here.

In net, the picture isn’t quite so clear. To be sure, Ullmark will be one of the three netminders, but after that, Sweden could go in any number of directions. Ultimately, we went with Wild goalie Gustavsson, who is just entering his prime, and 20-year-old Lindbom, who had a breakout rookie year with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League last season. Lindbom can be groomed as the long-term No. 1 option in net, but for now, he’s got to earn playing time behind Gustavsson and Ullmark.

In any case, the Swedes look to have a fast, dynamic group and an excellent balance of youth and experience. They finished third in the 2016 World Cup, and there’s a very good chance they’ll be just as good, if not better, in 2025.