The preliminary 16-man rosters for the World Cup of Hockey are being announced today.
World Cup Announcement: Sweden Roster Strength is on The Blue Line
Sweden’s biggest strength in the World Cup will be on the blue line, as the defence will be lead by two-time Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. He will have a strong supporting cast in Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Arizona Coyotes, and Nicklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings. One notable omission is John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars.
There is strength behind the defence as well with former Vezina trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. He will be backed up by Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom.
Upfront the Swedes will rely on Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals, Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings, Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, and Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks to put the puck in the net.
The Swedes took silver in Sochi, and are looking for gold here.
Sweden’s Preliminary Roster
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers, G
Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks, G
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes, D
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, D
Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks, D
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators, D
Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings, D
Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning, D
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals, F
Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins, F
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, F
Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche, F
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks, F
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks, F
Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues, F
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings, F
Main Photo Credit:
Main Photo Caption: SOCHI, RUSSIA – FEBRUARY 23: Goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden and teammates react after losing the Men’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Canada and Sweden on Day 16 of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics at Bolshoy Ice Dome on February 23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
