Team Sweden – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE – Team Sweden

Felix Robbins — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 13:18:29 +0000

After a disappointing 2022-2023 tournament showing by their standards, the medal-less Swedes are looking to return with a vengeance. Their roster is chock-full of high-end talent, opting to go with no draft year prospects. All but two players (Vancouvers Tom Willander and Ottawa’s Kevin Reidler) are playing in highly competitive men’s professional leagues. They have home ice advantage. To say the stage has been set for them to take a deep run at the gold would be putting it lightly. However, this is somewhat the same story we’ve heard for a while, save for the home ice advantage. The Tre Krona always feature highly skilled prospects on their team, yet never seem to play up to their potential. What’s going to be different this time?

The forward group consists of an imperious top 6, featuring lethal offensive talent in Noah Ostlund (Buffalo), Jonathan Lekkerimäki (Vancouver), Liam Öhgren (Minnesota), and Felix Unger Sorum (Carolina) among others. There are strong two-way players such as Filip Bystedt (San Jose), David Edstrom (Vegas), and Anton Wahlberg (Buffalo), as well as role players like Zeb Forsfjäll (Seattle) and Oskar Petterson (Ottawa) to fill out the bottom 6. I would expect an offensive-oriented top 9 with a checking bottom line.

Their defensive core is as solid as it could be, possibly one of the best and deepest in the tournament. A great combination of size, speed and skill, featuring the likes of Axel Sandin Pellikka (Detroit), Elias Salomonsson (Winnipeg), Tom Willander (Vancouver), and Matthias Hävelid (San Jose) to name a few. You can expect this D unit to make an impact in all three zones.

Perhaps the biggest question is in net, which features a completely new cast of players. Hugo Hävelid (2004) is the brother of D man Mattias, nephew of coach Magnus Hävelid, and has a proven track record in international tournaments. Melker Thelin (Arizona) has posted very respectable numbers in the HockeyAllsvenskan and HockeyEttan. Massive 6’6” Kevin Reidler (Ottawa) has struggled to start the year in the USHL, but has shown that he can bail out a team in the playoffs during his time in the Swedish J18 and J20. One of them must seize the starter’s job, and it will be very exciting to see who earns the spot.

With Canada and USA entering the tournaments as heavy favourites to win, the Swedes ought to have a pretty big chip on their shoulder. The potential for a gold medal winning team is there. It is up to them to prove that they aren’t just a good roster on paper, but on the ice as well.

Sweden’s first game of the round robin is against Latvia on the 26^th. They then play Germany on the 28^th, Canada on the 29^th, and finally the USA on the 31^st.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki of Sweden during a under-20 international friendly ice hockey game between Sweden and Switzerland on December 19, 2023 in Ängelholm.
Photo: Maxim Thoré / BILDBYRÅN / kod MT / MT0510

Ten to Watch

Jonathan Lekkerimäki – LW

It is often said that good things tend to come in threes. If you’re Jonathan Lekkerimäki, you hope that this continues to be the case. He is in his third pro season, where he has put up a formidable 10 G, 6 A in 24 GP with Örebro in the SHL. He is entering his third and final WJC at the U20 level with a chance for his third IIHF WJC medal - ideally a gold one. As the most tenured swede on the roster, Lekkerimäki is expected to be “the guy” and projected top scorer for the Tre Kronor. He has always been a shooter, but his physical strength and playmaking has taken a huge step. There are some questions about whether or not he has the drive to go inside or if he is content on the perimeter, but no question about his confidence in his abilities and his drive to improve. I expect that he’ll slot into the 1st line RW and 1st power play unit.

Noah Östlund - C

No matter how deep a team thinks they are down the middle, a top talent like Noah Östlund is going to push everyone down the depth chart. This is especially true internationally, where he has scored 14 points in 19 games played at the U20 level of play. Östlund is a speedy, intelligent, offensive dynamo who’s on the smaller side for a C. Despite a bit of mass amassing to do, he has the tools to deal with the physicality of the SHL and still be productive. He should be a lock for the top 6 and should be the 1st line center. However, I wonder if maybe he centers the 2nd line due to most of Sweden's more offensively talented players lacking a bit of size. No question he’s on the top power play unit as well. Östlund had a good showing last year at the WJC, but this year the expectation is for him to be an impact player for Sweden and someone who drives play whenever he’s on the ice.

Liam Öhgren – C/W

The last, but certainly not the least of the 2022 Draft’s “Djurgården 3” (Lekkerimäki, Östlund, Öhgren), Öhgren hasn’t made much of an impact at the WJC U20 yet despite heading into his 3rd tournament. For Sweden, this is the year he really needs to step up and step into the bigger role he’ll no doubt be expected to have. He’s lost a good portion of his SHL season to injury, so hopefully the tournament can serve as a springboard and propel him into the new year with a gold medal around his neck. Always a lethal scoring threat, Öhgren processes and plays the game at a high tempo. He has the ability to catch passes, make plays, and get his shot off in-stride - he doesn’t slow down for anyone. I imagine he’ll slot right into the top 6 - maybe even the 1st line, depending on how Sweden wants to spread the wealth of talent they have.

Axel Sandin Pellikka - D

If there's anyone on the Swedish team with a chip on his shoulder, it should be Axel Sandin Pellikka. He had a rough go of it last year at the WJC, both offensively and defensively. However, this year is going to be different. He has put up 9G, 4A in 25 games so far in his D+1 season, outscoring most forwards of his draft class in the very same league. If that is any indication of what’s coming to Goteborg in a couple days, look out! ASP is quite possibly one of, if not the best skaters at the tournament. He’s an offensive defenceman who you can’t take your eyes off of for a moment or give any space to whatsoever. He is an incredibly creative playmaker, reliable passer, and possesses a quick release to boot - a bonafide triple threat. He’s also a monster in transition - his rush patterns and mobility leaves forecheckers completely bewildered. He’s developed a more than competent defensive game, to top it off. He should be the undisputed 1D for Sweden and the PP1 QB.

Tom Willander – D

Unlike most Swedish players in their development journey, Tom Willander has taken the road less traveled and gone overseas to play college hockey. He’s acclimated nicely to North American ice, potting 8 points in 15 games in a key role with BU. Hopefully, this unorthodox D+1 has given him some sort of intel on how he needs to play against his North American counterparts, and gets him into the Canucks AHL affiliate sooner. Despite the tournament being on familiar turf, this will be Willander’s 1st tournament at the U20 level and only his 2nd time at a WJC event. Those unfamiliar with him can expect a smooth, efficient skater and a very active defender. He’s got an imposing physical edge as well, and he should be a strong two-way presence (leaning more defensively) on the backend for Sweden. Don’t be surprised if he assists a ton of Sweden's zone entries with his crisp passes as well. I expect him to log top 4 minutes and to be one of the teams most used PKers. There are going to be quite a few eyes on the 2023 11th overall pick (who some saw as a reach at the time), so hopefully he makes the moment count to dispel any narratives.

David Edstrom - C

Whatever the young Vegas draftee can do for his team, he will do. As a big, cerebral two-way center who plays solidly in all three zones, Edstrom will be relied upon to do a little bit of everything in his first WJC U20 tournament. He reads the ice well and pays close attention to detail - he’s probably one of the strongest off-puck forwards Sweden has. He’ll bring a ton of value offensively by getting his hands dirty on OZ retrievals and by floating to soft ice - a player profile that Sweden doesn’t have much of. Despite not being flashy, there isn't a doubt in my mind that Edstrom has the ability to anchor a line full of more dynamic talents with his intelligence and the completeness of his game. Sweden is so incredibly deep this year that a talent like David Edstrom will most likely end up centering the 3rd line. He’ll definitely play on the PK and perhaps even the PP as well, if needed.

Elias Salomonsson - D

After only seeing 3 games of international play last year, Elias Salomonsson is back with a vengeance. He’s really stepped up his game and carved out an identity for himself as a defense-first puck moving defenceman with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL, and that is what Sweden is hoping to get out of him here at the WJC. His excellent skating can be relied upon to shut down opponents, transport the puck, and join the rush. He doesn’t have the best hockey sense so he can’t make plays like his more offensive blueliners, but Salomonsson isn’t a black hole and should be able to provide some value with his above average passing and stickhandling ability. The Winnipeg Jets’ prospect should be a lock for a shutdown defenceman role with heavy usage on the penalty kill, but don’t be surprised if he surprises with stellar transitional play. Hopefully the unforced errors are kept to a minimum and he makes a quiet impact like the best defensive defensemen are known to do.

Mattias Hävelid – D

After missing the 2022 tournament due to injury, Hävelid is back in the yellow and blue and ready to make an impact. Hävelid has had a ton of international experience, and a productive experience at every level. So, while this is nothing new for the Sharks blueliner, he won’t be taking this opportunity lightly. Hävelid is an incredibly mobile offensive defenceman. Next to Axel Sandin Pellikka and Lane Hutson, his offensive toolkit may be the best among defencemen in the tournament. He’s got an absolute weapon of a shot and can let it go in so many ways. His passing game is mature and creative. He can handle the puck with flashy, yet dependable skill and can make the right play under pressure with ease. Hävelid will most likely be in the top 4 for Sweden, probably paired up with a defensive specialist like Elias Pettersson or Anton Johansson to make up for his weakness in his own end. The interesting question is in his PP deployment - I’ve pencilled Axel Sandin Pellikka into the 1st unit QB slot, but Hävelid may challenge him for that. No matter how you delegate the roles, opposing teams will have no quarter if they are undisciplined.

Otto Stenberg – LW

After a draft season with ups and downs and an explosion of points at the u18 worlds, Otto Stenberg is making his WJC U20 debut as a supremely talented winger struggling to find consistency in his game. With just 3 goals and 3 assists in 22 games in the SHL, the results aren’t anything to write home about. Despite the growing pains, Stenberg is a fierce competitor and has a history of always showing up for international bouts. Sweden is going to need the best version of him to win it all. Stenberg is a dynamic, perceptive playmaker with a great shot and silky-smooth mitts. He’s very manipulative with the puck on his stick and isn’t shy about attacking the middle. What he lacks in all-around game he makes up for in flashy skill, and he should be the perfect complement to a strong two-way center like, say, David Edstrom. I expect Stenberg to be a middle 6 wing and most likely see PP time - hopefully we see the young Blues prospect’s best version of himself.

Filip Bystedt - C

If Bysted could choose to have a repeat performance of last year, both in pro play and the WJC, I think he would. He had a phenomenal year with Linköping in the SHL last year as a D+1, but hasn’t quite taken that next next step this season. Still, one would hope that the 6’4 power center is looking at the tournament as a way to right the ship. The Sharks prospect is a great puck handler, likes to play with speed and knows how to take the puck to the net. He’s a solid playmaker and has a quick release. His skating is coming along nicely and he’s rounded out his game a bunch since his draft year. Adding to the sheer wealth of talent that Sweden has to offer, Bystedt will most likely find himself centering the 2nd line and playing in all situations. He is going to play a vital part in Sweden’s tournament ambitions, so let’s hope there’s some magic left over from 2022 in him.

Sleeper: Felix Unger Sörum – LW

When Carolina took Felix Unger Sörum at 62nd overall as one of the youngest players of the 2023 draft class, I don't think they expected him to last as long as he did in NHL camp and nearly seize a roster spot a few months later. The winger is a superb set up man. His passing and playmaking skills are his M.O., and he keeps defenders on their toes with his shifty body movement and stickhandles. He’s very intelligent and competitive, and his vision is borderline elite. He does lack size and unfortunately doesn’t have very strong skating to make up for that lack of size/physicality. However, his compete and playmaking ability is so good that it’s going to be impossible to take him out of the lineup. While he may initially end up getting pushed down the depth charts due to the talent on Sweden’s roster, Sörum will end up playing himself into a much bigger role with the team as the tournament goes on. Don’t sleep on Felix Unger Sörum - he is a sleeper in name alone.

Nylander a star for Team Sweden

Scott Wheeler — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 19:08:08 +0000

“I mean we’re soft,” William Nylander said, shaking his head following a 5-2 loss to Team Canada in an exhibition game that has no bearing on the upcoming World Juniors.

His team, the ‘soft’ one, took six minor penalties in the game, including three roughing penalties, a boarding penalty against Christoffer Ehn and a number of big hits, two on Canada’s star forward, Connor McDavid.

Still, Nylander thought they were soft.

Despite a primary assist on a pass to Gustav Forsling on his team’s first goal and a drawn penalty shot that led to a goal of his own, hauled down after getting loose at the blueline, Nylander wasn’t happy with his performance, or his team’s, either.

“We can’t play like this in the tournament,” he said, shaking his head again. “We gave them too much time and space, we let them play around.”

The 2014 first round draft pick wasn’t prepared for excuses, even when there were some. He expects them to win and he expects himself to perform.

“We know we have a young team and have a lot to learn,” Sweden’s head coach Rikard Gronborg said following the game.

Sweden, a team with only 10 players born in 1995, has few returning players.

“We don’t look at a passport when we decide who’s going to be on the team but at the same time it’s a tough experience and there’s a lot of people here watching the game and maybe some of the guys weren’t ready to go right from the start,” Gronborg said.

Unlike Nylander, Gronborg remained positive, despite the youth and injury troubles to returning goalie Jonas Johansson and star draft eligible prospect Oliver Kylington, both who will miss the tournament.

“We know we’re the youngest squad but we also have huge upside on this team,” Gronborg said.

Nylander, who will play in his first World Junior when the tournament kicks off on Boxing Day, has led Team Sweden in previous international play, including under-18 action that saw him named the tournament’s best forward, nearly outscoring his competition by double.

This season, he’s pacing towards potential record-breaking numbers on a Modo team that struggles to score and win games in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). In a league where few score at a point-per-game pace, Nylander is doing just that as a teenager.

Still, his two points in an exhibition game weren’t enough to keep him confident moving forward.

Gronborg though, had nothing but good things to say about his star forward.

“He can both pass and shoot the puck, he’s pretty dynamic in the offensive end of the game,” Gronborg said. “He brings a lot to the table so it’s pretty tough to scout him, especially on the power play.”

For Nylander, it seems to come natural.

“You just go when you feel like you can get a good chance,” he said of the play that led to his penalty shot, describing the play in vivid detail. “I saw that the defensemen stepped on the winger and he [the winger] was able to chip by.”

Whether Nylander’s happy with himself or not, his coach is going to lean on him heavily.

He has lined up with Modo teammate and Los Angeles Kings prospect Adrian Kempe and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oskar Lindblom. He also anchors the team’s top powerplay unit.

Canada set to debut final roster against Sweden

Scott Wheeler — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 22:45:22 +0000

The first look at Team Canada’s final roster comes today against Team Sweden in the second of three pre-competition games before the 2015 tournament kicks off on Boxing Day.

With the roster finalized, the game will serve as another step in the evaluation process as those who have made the team compete for roles.

With 12 regular spots available up front and six spots to compete for on the backend, the 20 remaining skaters will try to avoid falling into a role as the team’s twelfth forward or seventh defensemen. To start, Brayden Point and Dillon Heatherington will draw into those roles, respectively.

Team Canada's morning skate. Photo by Scott Wheeler.

Making their pre-competition debuts will be Ottawa Senators forward Curtis Lazar, top-ranked 2015 NHL Draft prospect Connor McDavid, undrafted Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Hicketts and a pair of Winnipeg Jets second round prospects, forward Nic Petan and goaltender Eric Comrie.

McDavid said he's just happy to be back after suffering an injury in a fight earlier this year.

For Lazar, the chance to play with McDavid is something he said he's looked forward to since he heard he was joining the team.

"I'm just going to try and get open," Lazar said following the morning skate, laughing.

Head coach Benoit Groulx expects the new line, which sees Nick Ritchie on the left wing, to be a difference maker. The game is a chance for them to gel.

"We look for chemistry, we want to give them a chance," Groulx said. "We have to be patient and see how it goes."

After a dominant performance against Team Russia only to suffer a 2-1 loss at the hands of 52-save effort by Russian goalie and New York Islanders prospect Ilya Sorokin, Canada faces another tough challenge.

Team Sweden's morning skate. Photo by Scott Wheeler.

Team Sweden, led by returnees Robert Hagg (PHI), Robin Norell (CHI), Jacob de a Rose (MTL), Anton Karlsson (ARI) and Lucas Wallmark (CAR), plays an up-tempo, controlled game.

Other core players include Adrian Kempe (LAK), William Nylander (TOR) and Oliver Kylington, a smooth-skating draft eligible defender.

The game will be the only time the two teams meet, barring an elimination round matchup. Team Sweden will play their preliminary round games in Group B, in Toronto, while Team Canada will start in Montreal’s Group A.

The game, an instalment in RBC’s Road to the World Juniors, will be live on TSN2 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Team Canada's line combinations:

Domi - Reinhart - Duclair
Ritchie - McDavid - Lazar
Petan - Paul - Fabbri
Crouse - Gauthier - Virtanen
Point

Nurse - Theodore
Morrissey - Bowey
Morin - Hicketts
Heatherington

Note: Stay tuned for updates throughout the day (including full line combinations) from the teams’ morning skates and immediately following the game for post-game reactions. You can follow here and on Twitter @scottcwheeler.

Mirco Mueller steady, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and Slovakia U18 reports

David Burstyn — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:18:08 +0000

Mirco Mueller's skates barely left the ice in Sochi.

The Swiss defender still had plenty left to give after playing 69 games through the regular season and playoffs with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips. Mueller was almost always on the ice for Team Switzerland and made his presence felt with his quality play.

The Swedes were unable to score a goal against the Americans in a 4-0 quarter-final loss. However, some of their players left good impressions while others left something to be desired. William Nylander looked every bit the player projected as a top-three pick in the 2014 draft while Robert Hagg did little to quash some of the concerns in his game.

Leon Draisaitl and Dominik Kahun provided the Germans with a dynamic one-two punch while Slovakian captain Peter Cehlarik can no longer hide his vast talents from the hockey world.

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Team Sweden

William Nylander (C/RW, 2014)

Arguably one of the most offensively-gifted and dangerous players in the tournament .. followed up stellar U17 World Challenge gold medal performance .. skated on the top unit with Burakovsky and de la Rose .. able to make plays, generate offence out of nothing and constantly stay involved due to a darting skating style that allows him to poke in and out of traffic .. won gold at the U17 World Challenge four months prior to U18 World Championships and is poised to be a top-three selection next year.

Robert Hagg (D, 2013)

Had an up and down tournament as he could make plays but also played with aloofness; a tag that he has been unable to shake all season .. often appears moody and disinterested on the ice despite possessing a highly-tuned skill set .. skating needs to be ramped up but he processes the game so well that he could QB a PP at the pro level.

Lucas Wallmark (C, 2013)

Ended the season just as he started by leading Team Sweden in points for the U18 World Championships (5-2-3-5) just as he had done for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial .. smart and creative centre struggled at times with Olympic-sized ice as his skating is simply not there .. can make plays and is a creative passer, however his speed limitations are difficult to ignore.

Andre Burakovsky (RW, 2013)

Had a good tournament as he led Team Sweden with four goals, however was unable to pick up his game when it mattered most against Team Canada in relegation and in the quarter-finals against Team USA .. was not dominant by any stretch, but made good all-around decisions backed by his impressive speed .. helped to erase some question marks and improve his draft stock despite a very ordinary year with Malmo in the Allsvenskan.

Jacob de la Rose (W, 2013)

Versatile forward played both wings and was a spark plug for Team Sweden, injecting some brash physical play while also showing a penchant for being able to create .. prototypical power forward can play in any situation and with any set of line-mates as his skill set translates well to adapt to any game situation .. played consistent if not overwhelming.

Team Switzerland

Mirco Muller (D, 2013)

Assistant captain appeared at times to be playing the entire game as he would rarely leave the ice .. played in all situations and was often lined up against opposition’s best players .. diligent defensive game only managed to finish a -1 throughout the tournament despite Switzerland being out-scored by a two-to-one margin of 24-12 .. showed ability to log minutes and still play a focused game .. improved his draft stock with his consistent play.

Team Germany

Dominik Kahun (C, 2013)

Once again rode shotgun with Draisaitl as the two had done previously at the U17 World Challenge and played a gutsy, intelligent two-way game co-leading the scoring for Team Germany with 5-3-4-7 totals .. undersized but smart in terms of his approach and did not put himself into problematic situations .. year of playing in the OHL has developed his all around game .. Kahun and Draisaitl looked leaps and bounds better than their countrymen.

Leon Draisaitl (LW, 2014)

Once again shined on the international stage as he scored at a point-per-game clip .. most experienced player on team as he also played for Germany at the WJC .. highly-skilled .. the game-plan was to get him the puck at all times .. had an insane amount of touches per game and was always on the puck .. flourished with the pressure of being the go-to-guy .. speed looks like it has improved and his game-reading skills are in the upper-echelon of his age group.

Team Slovakia

Peter Cehlarik (LW, 2013)

Team captain was the driving force for Team Slovakia, who avoided being relegated after posting a 3-2 win over Latvia .. had a great tournament (6-2-5-7) as his skill set was evident with each shift, however he had no one to play with as he had to do it all by himself .. skating is plausible but offensive skills and puck-handling ability is incredibly developed .. played in Lulea J20, the Northern-most team in the Sweden J20 so NHL teams may not have seen him, however he’s no longer a secret after his U18 World Championship coming out party.