The rosters were announced Wednesday for the World Cup of Hockey and while the usual suspects like Russia and the Czech Republic put together strong groups, it was Team Sweden that stole the show as pretty much the same team that wound up with silver instead of gold at the 2014 Sochi Games looks to right that runner-up wrong.
New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson lead a star-studded cast of Swedes that will likely be vying for the World Cup crown come the fall. Here's the rest of the roster...
G Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks
D Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings
D Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning
F 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
Markstrom, Hedman, Stralman and Forsberg are the only newcomers to a team that, at first, second and third glance has an absolute embarrassment of riches. The Swedes are so deep, especially on defense, that some riches, namely budding Dallas Stars blueliner John Klingberg, didn't even make the preliminary roster.
"John Klingberg is of course one very strong contender," Team Sweden general manager Tommy Boustedt said. "But I think so far we have picked the six best."
And while it's hard to argue with Boustedt's logic when it comes to players like Karlsson, Ekman-Larsson, Stralman, Hedman, Hjalmarsson and Kronwall, it's also hard to see how Klingberg's ample skill wouldn't have improved the group as whole.
Klingberg, 23, is second in the NHL in scoring among defensemen. The former fifth-round pick has exploded this season in Lindy Ruff's powerhouse offensive system, collecting 10 goals and 53 points through 65 games for the West-leading (along with the Blackhawks, who have one game in-hand) Stars.
But Boustedt seemed intent on building a balanced roster, not just putting the best players out on the ice.
"These six players have played in so many important games," Boustedt said. "There will be a tough run for that seventh D spot, I think."
