WJC: 2026 Team Sweden Roster Talk

[m4tt145]

Felix Öhrqvist should be a lock?

 

[hockeyprospects9]

Felix Öhrqvist should be a lock?

I think so

 

[Gazewithin]

So what do you want to do? Personally sacking everyone would be a good start

Theres only 2 things to do, sack or arrest everyone in charge of the federation, change ways how we train and develop our talents. If we dont do that we never win again

I would more or less want to do the same as you. This is such a long and exhaustive discussion, and is very different in terms of long term vs short term. Obviously there is a lot more we could and should do longterm.

But in terms of next year I don't know how much there is to be done. It's just most likely to be a tough year. Our oldest age group is weak. I think not having high expectations or hopes is reasonable.

If I had control, I would start off with actually just focusing on taking the best players possible. Two things are true, we don't have the depth of talent of the north americans. Take players who can play hockey. I never once thought in this tournament about how great it was to have these "defensive specialists" or "ace up the sleeve" players on the backend, but I did think "sure would be nice to have some players who could move the puck and are instead sitting at home drinking cappucinos and playing Call of Duty. Who on earth watched our games and thought about how great it is to have Altörn, Eriksson, Träff etc because they could play with the physicality, passion and effort that players like Eklund and Stenberg cant? No one. Take the best players, and if you really think you are missing something, give the last 2 last roster spots to a forward and defenceman who fills that. Then play them 2 shift in the group stage, realize they can't hang, and be done with it.

Secondly, and this was not as big of a problem in terms of total ice time this year. But don't make these weird line combinations in various situations. 4th line against a tired Finland on an icing. Forsfjäll, Edstrom and Hurtig in OT, playing Eklund less than 10 minutes in the first two periods etc. Against every top country and in all 3 playoff games, play the best until the breaks fall of and then some more, and make smart changes and adjustments.


Thirdly, don't lock in your starter way before the tournament and then don't adjust ever. I do feel for Thelin to some degree, because Hävlid and co set him up for failure when he looked shaky all the way to the end. We had two other options that I'm pretty sure have played just as well if not better this season, and the best shot they got was that one of them got to play against Kazakhstan. That means nothing, and signals that it was Thelin or nothing from the start. Unless there is a Wallstedt level goalie, make them compete in the groups and go with the best goalie for the moment. There were at least 3/4 games before Finland where Thelin was not great, and the writing was on the wall.

There is a lot more, but last thing I will say is; don't be afraid to lean younger if the better players are such. Losing next year with 15 06-borns is just an expected tragedy, losing next year with a bunch of younger players give them legs for the year after, where we have the chance to be a very good team. Obviously don't select worse players, but at least don't make age the deciding factor between two different players.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Time to unleash Gabriel Eliasson

 

[OilersFanatics505]

Eklund - Frondell - Ekberg
Wozniak - Pettersson - Stenberg
Björck - Zetterberg - Fernström
Berglund - Eriksson - Genborg
Hillström, Nilson

Wallenius - Annborn
Freij - Gustafsson
Öhrqvist - Eliasson
Lindgren

Härenstam
Sörqvist
Goos

Defense looks a little thinner missing ASP but man that offense looks improved over this years.

 

[hockeyprospects9]

Time to unleash Gabriel Eliasson

Would definitely make it more fun to watch, it’s not like they’re going to win so might as well win the penalty mins.

 

[Garl]

Negativity is a swedish copium. I remember the team that made it to the finals in 2013. Who was the best Dman on that roster? Wikstrand? Djoos? Yet was a good team, won the group, beaten hosts and heavy favourites Russia in semis and made a good challenge to USA in finals.

Forward group was not that great either, lots of underagers no obvious stars.

We have had worse teams previously. 2019 for example, 2015. 95 was worse than 06, and 96 is probably worse than 07. 99 and 00 are worse than 06 and 07.

06 won bronze at u18 wjc last spring losing to future champs in a close game in semis. And this was with only 2 07 guys.

 

[Garl]

Ah yes, roster


Harenstam, Liv, Axelsson

Freij, Sahlin Wallenius, Olsson, Annborn, Ohrqvist, V.Gustafsson, Eliasson, Hallquist

Frondell, Ihs Wozniak, Nordlund, Eklund, Stenberg, Zetterberg, Sterner, Berglund, Fernstrom, Pettersson, L.Eriksson, V.Bjorck, Nilson

So for example

Harenstam
Liv
Axelsson

Freij-Sahlin Wallenius
Ohrqvist-Gustafsson
Eliasson-Annborn
Olsson/Hallquist(might prefer him due to Right shooting)

Ihs Wozniak-Frondell-Eklund
Stenberg-Bjorck-Berglund
Fernstrom-Pettersson-Zetterberg
Sterner-Eriksson-Nordlund
Nilson

 

[Garl]

Also one question, for all the talk of "bad roster" next year. Do you really think that we lost to Finland and Czechia because the had better rosters? You really think that is the case?

It's like if in a boxing match a very heavy puncher is consistently losing because of bad gameplan, like for example giving up the initiative because his coach tells him that he is winning on points comfortably.

But his supporters are like, nah, he just needs to punch even harder