If Nylander joins Ekman-Larsson at the tournament, it'll be the second time both players will represent Sweden this year.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson's hockey season doesn't look to be ending quite yet.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is preparing to suit up for Team Sweden at the IIHF World Championships, according to The Leafs Nation's Nick Alberga.
Ekman-Larsson is coming off his most productive regular season in the NHL in over five years. His eight goals and 39 points in 78 games are the most he's scored since 2018-19 with the Arizona Coyotes, where he tallied 44 points in 81 games.
His 39 points this year were the most among Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen.
The 34-year-old was also the Maple Leafs' Masterton nominee this season, which is voted on by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). The annual award is given to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
This will be Ekman-Larsson's second time representing Sweden this year, after playing for the country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. The defenseman didn't register a point through five games with Sweden, who fell to the United States in overtime of the quarterfinals.
Could William Nylander Also Join Sweden's Roster?
Along with reporting on Ekman-Larsson's involvement in the tournament, Alberga also noted that Maple Leafs forward William Nylander hasn't yet decided whether he'll represent Sweden at Worlds.
The 30-year-old is coming off a 30-goal and 79-point campaign with the Maple Leafs over 65 games this season. He, like Ekman-Larsson, represented Sweden at the Olympics in February, scoring two goals and four points in five games.
Nylander has remained in Toronto since the Maple Leafs' season ended to watch his brother, Alex, play in the Calder Cup playoffs with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. William was in attendance for Toronto's series-clinching win over the Rochester Americans on Sunday.
The Marlies are now facing the Laval Rocket in the North Division semifinals and are down 1-0 in the best-of-five series. They play another game in Laval on Friday before returning home for Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Nylander chooses to go to Worlds. He's represented Sweden in the tournament four times since entering the NHL and won gold there in 2017. He was the tournament MVP that year, with 14 points in 10 games.
In 24 games with Sweden at the World Championships, Nylander has scored 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points.
Sweden's tournament gets underway on May 15 against a Canadian team that'll likely feature two Maple Leafs in John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Sweden will also face Denmark, Czechia, Slovenia, Italy, Norway, and Slovakia in the preliminary round.