Breakaway on SI

Sweden Releases World Junior Championship Roster: Top Prospect Snubbed

Team Sweden released their preliminary roster for the 2025 World Junior Championships and there was a noticeable omission.

Jacob Punturi

Aug 3, 2024; Plymouth, MI, USA; Sweden's defenseman Kristian Kostadinski (2) clears the puck against Finland during the third period of the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Aug 3, 2024; Plymouth, MI, USA; Sweden's defenseman Kristian Kostadinski (2) clears the puck against Finland during the third period of the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images
In this story:

As the holidays and new years inch closer, international tournaments abound for the top NHL, European, and amateur hockey players. The 4 Nations Face-Off is set to announce their rosters while the World Junior Championship is waiting for the game's best prospects.

Shortly after Canada and the United States released their preliminary rosters for the WJC, Sweden was the latest powerhouse to reveal their initial group. Their set of 32 players was largely the expected group, riddled with recent top draft picks and NHL hopefuls. But among their group, there was one notable omission.

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Anton Frondell was a glaring exclusion from the Swedish preliminary roster. Frondell is a top-10 prospect in this upcoming draft, and his omission is a questionable one. The team is clearly going for a more veteran group at this tournament, but it's hard to see why Frondell is the one left out because of that.

Frondell is currently playing in the second highest professional league in the Sweden, skating with Djurgardens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan. He has one goal and three points over seven games, and also has five goals and seven points in the under-20 league, the J20 Nationell. The 6'0 center projects to be the next two-way Swedish center to emerge in the NHL, but the World Junior Championships won't be the latest opportunity for Frondell to show that.

Instead, the team will rely on a group led by defensemen Tom Willander, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Theo Lindstein, three recent first-round NHL draft picks.

Up front, the team has players like Otto Stenberg, David Edstrom, and Feliz Unger Sorum providing top-six production. Each player projects to see NHL time in the next few years, and they could provide trouble for opposing defenses.

Sweden is likely to be a gold medal contender alongside the U.S. and Canadian squads. Deep and talented at every position, Sweden is a team to watch as the 2025 WJC approaches.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

Published
Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Home/News Feed Page