The last time the Winter Olympics took place in Italy, Mats Sundin, Henrik Lundqvist, and a slew of Detroit Red Wings players helped Sweden bring home gold. Can the next generation of Swedish stars do the same?
Now that the NHL has announced that NHL players will be allowed to participate, Sweden has the chance to repeat history. Another medal in Italy is certainly in the cards.
With NHL player available, Sweden could have an ultra-talented roster – one that would rival the 2006 squad. Here’s a preview of what that roster could look like.
Other 2026 Olympic Roster Projections:
Projected Roster for Sweden
Before getting to the lineup, I want to point out (again) that the Olympics won’t be held until February of 2026. There’s still two seasons of NHL hockey to be played between now and then. A lot can happen during that time. So with that being said, here’s an early projection for Sweden’s roster.
| LD | RD | G |
| Victor Hedman | Rasmus Dahlin | Linus Ullmark |
| Hampus Lindholm | Rasmus Andersson | Jesper Wallstedt |
| Mattias Ekholm | Erik Karlsson | Filip Gustavsson |
| Simon Edvinsson | Gustav Forsling |
Compared to the rest of the world, Sweden will have one of the most experienced rosters in terms of Olympic participation. Nicklas Backstrom competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games, while Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Karlsson joined the veteran center at the latter event in Sochi.
In addition, Rasmus Dahlin represented his home country at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It was quite a draft year for Dahlin – the blueliner recorded an assist in two Olympic contests. Although he ended up as the first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Dahlin likely wouldn’t have been named to the team if NHLers were allowed to compete.
However, in 2026, Dahlin will be joined by a talented array of NHL players. Victor Hedman could see his first Olympic action, as could fellow stars Elias Pettersson, William Nylander, and Mika Zibanejad.
In addition to their stars, Sweden has a nice balance of veterans, up-and-comers, and players in their prime. Hampus Lindholm and Mattias Ekholm are stalwart defenders and veteran leaders, with William Karlsson, Elias Lindholm, and Joel Eriksson Ek serving as capable two-way forwards. Then there’s also Jesper Bratt, Lucas Raymond, Leo Carlsson, and Simon Edvinsson, who represent the future of Swedish hockey.
Sweden should have a potent power play as well, with Pettersson and Zibanehad on the flanks and either Karlsson or Dahlin up top as the quarterback. You have to figure Nylander will be involved in some capacity as well.
Finally, it’s unclear who will start in net for Sweden. Linus Ullmark won the 2023 Vezina Trophy, but will be 32 when the tournament begins. Jesper Wallstedt or Filip Gustavsson could seize the starting role if Ullmark declines over the next two-plus years.
Final Word
While I expected Sweden to have a highly talented roster, I don’t think they’re as deep as the likes of the United States and Canada. If anything, they are in the second tier of countries— along with Russia, Finland, and the Czech Republic—very capable in some areas, but have their weaknesses as well.
Missed the cut: Rickard Rakell, Viktor Arvidsson, Victor Olofsson, Alex Wennberg, Pierre Engvall, Gustav Nyquist, Andre Burakovsky, Alexander Holtz, Jonatan Berggren, William Eklund, Rasmus Sandin, Adam Larsson, Jonas Brodin, Timothy Liljegren, Jacob Markstrom, Anton Forsberg.