Sweden's Olympic defense faces uncertainty, potentially opening a door for Mattias Ekholm to join the roster after initially being overlooked.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, the 2026 Winter Olympics might not be completely off the table for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm. After being overlooked for Team Sweden, there is a chance he could get the call after all.
While nothing is confirmed and no replacements have been named, LeBrun tweeted on Wednesday:
"Sweden is proceeding as if it won't have [Jonas] Brodin and [Leo] Carlsson. Won't announce replacement players until closer to the Olympics. Also because there may be more players to replace. Sweden still hopeful on Hedman, Landeskog, Karlsson, Nylander, Eriksson Ek."
Sweden coach Sam Hallam spoke with Sportbladet on Monday and revealed he wasn’t expecting Brodin to be available. He also said in that interview that he expects Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, but that is not yet a certainty.
Brodin, a left-shot defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, is Ekholm's possible ticket in. While no one wants to make the team because another good player is injured, there was an argument that Ekholm could or should have made the team regardless. If Brodin can't go, the Oilers' left-shot, top-pairing blueliner might get the call.
As for why Ekholm was overlooked, it could have been recent injuries and his age, with Team Sweden opting for the younger former Oiler, Philip Broberg.
Could Mattias Ekholm make it to the Olympics after all? © Steve Roberts Imagn Images Michael Russo of The Athletic writes:
"Among the forwards who can be in the mix to be added to the roster are Wild winger Marcus Johansson, Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund and San Jose Sharks winger William Eklund. Potential replacements on defense include the Detroit Red Wings’ Simon Edvinsson, Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm and Boston Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm."
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