Team Sweden Roster Prediction: 4 Nations Face-Off

What will Team Sweden look like at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off?

Feb 19, 2022; Beijing, China; Team Slovakia forward Milos Kelemen (12) chases Team Sweden defender Philip Holm (52) during the first period in the bronze medal men s ice hockey game during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at National Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV-Imagn Images / George Walker IV-Imagn Images

The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off is shaping up to be an epic event. Final rosters are set to be released in the coming weeks, but the speculation is ramping up in the meantime. In another effort of projecting lineups, let's take a look at what Team Sweden will look like when the tournament begins.

Goalies - Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, Filip Gustavsson

While Team Sweden didn't name any goalie as part of their initial six names on the roster, it's not because the country lacks talent and options in net. New Jersey Devils' starter Jacob Markstrom and Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators will likely battle for the top position.

Don't count out 26-year-old Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson for starts though. He's off and running with the Wild this year and could be the hottest goalie of the three when the tournament begins.

A dark horse to keep an eye on is Samuel Ersson of the Philadelphia Flyers. He was recently injured and may unavailable entirely, but he's improved steadily over the last few years and has earned a longer look from Team Sweden.

Defense - Gustav Forsling, Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Ekholm, Rasmus Andersson, Jonas Brodin

This is the strongest position for Team Sweden. Gustav Forsling, Victor Hedman, and Erik Karlsson have already been named to the team, but that still leaves four spots to fill and roughly 10 players who have a claim to those spots.

The key for Sweden is balance. Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Ekholm feel like locks for the lineup, with both being huge minute defenders who can fill in wherever the team needs. That leaves just one right-hander in the mix, which means Sweden will look towards Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames to finalize their top-six defensemen. Minnesota Wild veteran Jonas Brodin is my pick to be the seventh defender.

There are several more players on Team Sweden's radar: Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marcus Pettersson of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins, and Adam Larsson of the Seattle Kraken.

Forwards - Filip Forsberg, William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, Elias Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, William Karlsson, Jesper Bratt, Elias Pettersson, Lucas Raymond, Adrian Kempe, Michael Backlund, Joel Eriksson Ek, William Eklund

Stop me if you've heard this before: this lineup needs to strike a balance between scoring and playing defense. With the inclusion of players like William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights, Michael Backlund of the Calgary Flames, and Joel Eriksson Ek, Team Sweden has three centers who kill penalties but also have 25+ goal capability. Combining that with the elite skill of their top players, and this lineup should be a healthy mix of scoring and defense.

Like on the blue line, there are many options at Sweden's disposal. Some names to keep an eye on are Andre Burakovsky of the Seattle Kraken, Alex Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks, and Nils Hoglander of the Vancouver Canucks.

Winning this event will be a difficult task for any of the four teams, but Team Canada and the United States are the two betting favorites entering the tournament. With this projected lineup, however, Team Sweden has a solid shot to take home the gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

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