Olympics: Team Sweden 2026
- Thread starter Eye of Ra
- Start date
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...where Sweden hurts, imo, is down the middle and without Petey & Zibby there, it's really weak...yes, they both were BAD at the 4 Nations, but hope for a bounceback...Sweden should be a favorite...
dahrougem2
Registered User
Man... long gone are the days of Forsberg, Sundin, Zetterberg, H. Sedin, and Backstrom.
Sweden really, really lacks down the middle relative to Canada, USA, Finland, even Germany.
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Yes our centers are not great. If Zibanejad and Pettersson gets back in shape then it looks better. And Leo Carlsson could explode.
Germany....you mean Drai and Stutzle? Outside of those 2 we are stronger than the Germans.
dahrougem2
Registered User
Of course you are stronger, but Germany down the middle has the ability to run Draisaitl/Stutzle/Sturm which is stronger overall than any combo of three the Swedes can come up with.
Sweden IMO beats Germany of course overall but down the middle Sweden is weak, weak, weak.
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
I dont see how Sturm is a better player than William Karlsson/Eriksson Ek/Lindholm/Backlund/Petey/Zibby. And Germans 4c will be some dude from DEL. We have better bottom 6 centers than Germany but worse top 6 centers.
My prediction for team Sweden.(If healthy)
Forsberg-Pettersson-Nylander
Bratt-ErikssonEk-Raymond
Kempe-Zibanejad-Rakell
Eklund-Lindholm-W.Karlsson
Carlsson/Nyquist/Arvidsson
Hedman-Lindholm
Ekholm-Karlsson
Dahlin-Forsling
Andersson/Brodin
Markstrom
Ullmark
Ersson/Gustavsson
Forsberg-Pettersson-Nylander
Bratt-ErikssonEk-Raymond
Kempe-Zibanejad-Rakell
Eklund-Lindholm-W.Karlsson
Carlsson/Nyquist/Arvidsson
Hedman-Lindholm
Ekholm-Karlsson
Dahlin-Forsling
Andersson/Brodin
Markstrom
Ullmark
Ersson/Gustavsson
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
This is not true at all, just the previous season Pettersson and Zibanejad were top 50 in the NHL scoreboard. Eriksson-Ek and Lindholm both have the potential to score a lot of points. Leo Carlsson will have grown a lot as a player by 2026. Sweden will field a strong team with no obvious weakness.
dahrougem2
Registered User
Their team at this very tournament had obvious weaknesses, so that part probably isn't true for next year.
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Well we lost zero games in even time. Canada and Finland needed OT to defeat us and we did beat USA. It sounds on you like we lost all 3 games with 4-1. We finished ahead of Finland in Final standings.
Let’s review the results:
Canada - Sweden
2-0
1-1
0-2
(OT: 1-0)
Penalty minutes 2:2
Shots 28:26
I think we can agree this was an even game with Canada beating us with just 2 shots and an OT goal.
Finland - Sweden
2-1
1-2
0-0
(OT: 1-0)
Penalty minuts 2:2
Shots: 24:27
I think we can agree this was an even game with Sweden producing just 3 shots more than Finland and losing with an OT goal.
Sweden - United States
0-1
1-1
2-1
Penalty minutes 6:6
Shots: 23:32
I can’t find any obvious weaknesses with the team. It is evenly strong on every position and put up good performance in all match ups.
Here’s my current prediction.
My takeaways from 4-nations are (like many others):
- We lacked good centers. Sweden was really unlucky with ALL of their top 6 centers having mediocre or horrendeous seasons. All of them performing worse than the year before. This is likely an anomaly and if at least 2 of them bounce back, things are looking ok
- We lacked forwards that are being able to crash the net and playing more a north-south game. Lacked toughness. Foppa called this out before the tournament and he ended up being right.
- Defense was really good and that helped us being able to control the games. Karlsson proved he is still Swedens best skater.
- We were extremely unlucky with the injuries to both Markström and Ullmark. And that Gustavsson went from hot to very up and down a few weeks before the tournament. We can’t be this unlucky twice, so goaltending should be good.
Forsberg (31) - Zibanejad (32) - Pettersson (27)
Bratt (27) - Eriksson Ek (28) - Raymond (23)
Kempe (29) - L. Carlsson (21) - W. Nylander (29)
Holmström (24) - W. Karlsson (32) - E. Lindholm (31)
Stenlund (30)
Reserves:
W. Eklund (23)
Zetterlund (28)
Söderblom (24)
Holtz (23)
Backlund (36)
Arvidsson (32)
We still lack grit on the top 9. But with Holmström and Stenlund we add size. Stenlund would play PK and sometimes take important d-zone face-offs. He is excellent in that role and probably best on the team at face-offs. I would like like Eklund on the team, but that makes it too many small forwards. Same goes for Arvidsson.
Having a somewhat healthy Landeskog would be very helpful for this team, but I doubt he will come back.
Forsling (29) - E. Karlsson (35)
Hedman (35) - R. Andersson (29)
Dahlin (25) - A. Larsson (33)
Brodin (32)
Reserves:
H. Lindholm (31)
Ekholm (35)
M. Pettersson (29)
Broberg (24)
Edvinsson (22)
Al. Johansson (24)
OEL (34)
Sandin (25)
It’s a luxury having to put Ekholm, Lindholm and Pettersson among the reserves. I have Larsson in the top 6 instead on Brodin due to being RHD. Until ASP and Willander emerges at senior level, we are a bit short on RHD.
Edvinsson, Broberg and Albert Johansson are all knocking on the door and some of them will likely be on the team in 2028. This is probably the last show for our golden generation of defensemen born early 90’s.
Ullmark (32)
Markström (36)
F. Gustavsson (27)
Reserves:
Ersson (26)
Söderblom (26)
A. Forsberg (33)
At least 1-2 of these should be in good form and a good starter.
If EP40 and Zibanejad still are really bad next season.
FORWARDS:
Forsberg (31) - W. Karlsson (32) - W. Nylander (29)
Bratt (27) - Eriksson Ek (28) - Raymond (23)
Kempe (29) - L. Carlsson (21) - E. Lindholm (31)
Holmström (24) - Backlund (36) - Zetterlund (28)
Stenlund (29)
W. Eklund (23)
Zibanejad (32)
EP40 (27)
Söderblom (24)
Holtz (23)
Arvidsson (32)
My takeaways from 4-nations are (like many others):
- We lacked good centers. Sweden was really unlucky with ALL of their top 6 centers having mediocre or horrendeous seasons. All of them performing worse than the year before. This is likely an anomaly and if at least 2 of them bounce back, things are looking ok
- We lacked forwards that are being able to crash the net and playing more a north-south game. Lacked toughness. Foppa called this out before the tournament and he ended up being right.
- Defense was really good and that helped us being able to control the games. Karlsson proved he is still Swedens best skater.
- We were extremely unlucky with the injuries to both Markström and Ullmark. And that Gustavsson went from hot to very up and down a few weeks before the tournament. We can’t be this unlucky twice, so goaltending should be good.
Forsberg (31) - Zibanejad (32) - Pettersson (27)
Bratt (27) - Eriksson Ek (28) - Raymond (23)
Kempe (29) - L. Carlsson (21) - W. Nylander (29)
Holmström (24) - W. Karlsson (32) - E. Lindholm (31)
Stenlund (30)
Reserves:
W. Eklund (23)
Zetterlund (28)
Söderblom (24)
Holtz (23)
Backlund (36)
Arvidsson (32)
We still lack grit on the top 9. But with Holmström and Stenlund we add size. Stenlund would play PK and sometimes take important d-zone face-offs. He is excellent in that role and probably best on the team at face-offs. I would like like Eklund on the team, but that makes it too many small forwards. Same goes for Arvidsson.
Having a somewhat healthy Landeskog would be very helpful for this team, but I doubt he will come back.
Forsling (29) - E. Karlsson (35)
Hedman (35) - R. Andersson (29)
Dahlin (25) - A. Larsson (33)
Brodin (32)
Reserves:
H. Lindholm (31)
Ekholm (35)
M. Pettersson (29)
Broberg (24)
Edvinsson (22)
Al. Johansson (24)
OEL (34)
Sandin (25)
It’s a luxury having to put Ekholm, Lindholm and Pettersson among the reserves. I have Larsson in the top 6 instead on Brodin due to being RHD. Until ASP and Willander emerges at senior level, we are a bit short on RHD.
Edvinsson, Broberg and Albert Johansson are all knocking on the door and some of them will likely be on the team in 2028. This is probably the last show for our golden generation of defensemen born early 90’s.
Ullmark (32)
Markström (36)
F. Gustavsson (27)
Reserves:
Ersson (26)
Söderblom (26)
A. Forsberg (33)
At least 1-2 of these should be in good form and a good starter.
If EP40 and Zibanejad still are really bad next season.
FORWARDS:
Forsberg (31) - W. Karlsson (32) - W. Nylander (29)
Bratt (27) - Eriksson Ek (28) - Raymond (23)
Kempe (29) - L. Carlsson (21) - E. Lindholm (31)
Holmström (24) - Backlund (36) - Zetterlund (28)
Stenlund (29)
W. Eklund (23)
Zibanejad (32)
EP40 (27)
Söderblom (24)
Holtz (23)
Arvidsson (32)
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nice shout out about Söderblom! He has exloded this season, so far. Playing very physical. Would love to see him on World Championship in May.
He probably needs to prove himself for the rest of this season and the start of the next. Not so sure about his defensive game, but he could be a unique asset on the PP.
