The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will take place in Toronto, Ontario at Air Canada Centre as a pre-season clash of the nations. Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Finland, Team Russia, Team USA, Team Europe, Team North America, and Team Sweden will duke it out for international supremacy. Just announced, the Swedes will have the following players representing their country.
2016 Team Sweden World Cup of Hockey Roster
Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
*Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins
*Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh Penguins
*Marcus Kruger, Chicago Blackhawks
Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
*Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
*Carl Soderberg, Colorado Avalanche
Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
Defensemen
*Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings
Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Goalies
*Robin Lehner, Buffalo Sabres
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
*= added today
The Swedes possess tremendous skill yet again in international competition with five returnees from the 2006 Gold Medal team at the Winter Olympics (Sedin Twins, Lundqvist, Kronwall, Zetterberg). Up front, the team boasts seven 20-goal scorers and ten 50+ point-getters with a promising bottom six with Hagelin and Kruger using speed and physical play.
On defense, the core will use the stretch pass. A lot. Equipped with two, and possibly three-time Norris trophy winner in Karlsson, a rising star in Ekman-Larsson, a steady pair that played the majority of the season together from Tampa Bay in Hedman and Stralman, a veteran presence in Kronwall and two underrated defensive talents in Ekholm and Hjalmarsson, the Swedes should be formidable top-to-bottom on the back end combining for 69 goals this past season for their respective teams.
In goal, Lundqvist will likely be the starter given his pedigree in international play, being “the guy” at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics posting a .926 save percentage through all three. Lehner suffered an injury at the start of play this season and was only able to appear in 24 games, posting a .924 save percentage. Markstrom won 13 games this season with the Canucks after an incredible season with Utica in 2014-15 where he won 22 of the 32 contests he played in notching a .934 save percentage.
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