Instead of having an All-Star Game this season in the NHL, the league and the NHLPA will be staging the Four Nations Faceoff, which will run from February 12th to February 20th. This is a round robin tournament featuring the national teams of Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, with the rosters composed of NHL players from all four of those countries.
Each team will play three games, with the top two teams playing in a winner-take-all final. Teams will receive three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and no points for a regulation loss. The overtime period for the round robin games will be a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden death period. If the game is not decided in overtime, there will be a three-round shootout. In the championship game, overtime is held in the more traditional playoff format: Continuous 5-on-5 play in consecutive 20-minute periods until there is a winner.
The first four games of this tournament will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, while the final three games, including the championship, will be held at TD Garden in Boston.
Each day, I will break down each team and getting an in-depth look at the rosters, position cores (forwards, defensemen and goaltending), surprises and snubs. Updates to each article may occur to account for potential roster replacements in the case of injuries or withdrawals.
Table of Contents
Background on Sweden
Sweden named Anders Lundberg as their general manager, with Sam Hallam being the head coach and Daniel Alfredsson as an assistant coach. Victor Hedman has been named the team captain, with Mattias Ekholm, Erik Karlsson and William Nylander being named the alternate captains.
Forwards for Sweden
| Player | Shoots | Birthplace | Team |
| Viktor Arvidsson | Right | Kusmark, Västerbotten | Edmonton Oilers |
| Jesper Bratt | Left | Stockholm, Stockholm | New Jersey Devils |
| Leo Carlsson | Left | Karlstad, Värmland | Anaheim Ducks |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | Left | Karlstad, Värmland | Minnesota Wild |
| Filip Forsberg | Right | Östervåla, Uppsala | Nashville Predators |
| Adrian Kempe | Left | Kramfors, Västernorrland | Los Angeles Kings |
| Elias Lindholm | Right | Boden, Norrbotten | Boston Bruins |
| William Nylander | Right | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Gustav Nyquist | Left | Halmstad, Halland | Nashville Predators |
| Rickard Rakell | Right | Sollentuna, Stockholm | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Lucas Raymond | Right | Gothenburg, Västra Götaland | Detroit Red Wings |
| Elias Pettersson | Left | Sundsvall, Västernorrland | Vancouver Canucks |
| Mika Zibanejad | Right | Huddinge, Stockholm | New York Rangers |
Sweden’s forward core is a mix of physical, defensive players with scorers that makes for a significantly high ceiling. Elias Pettersson, Joel Eriksson Ek, Elias Lindholm and Adrian Kempe are some of the most accomplished two-way forwards in the NHL right now, and can certainly chime in with the goal-scoring. Eriksson Ek and Lindholm can thrive on both sides of the ice, and Kempe can be a difference-maker with the capability to find the back of the net. William Karlsson was originally part of this group as a two-way forward with a shoot-first mentality, but had to withdraw due to injury, and is replaced by Rickard Rakell.
Pettersson, along with the likes of William Nylander, Filip Forsberg and Jesper Bratt, bring elite skill, and can change the game with their stick. They are dangerous when they’re on the ice in any shift, and adding Mika Zibanejad and Lucas Raymond along adds to the high-octane scoring touch. Forsberg brings national team experience to the squad, being on Sweden’s 2018 team that won the World Championships. And while Zibanejad is a trailblazer at the left circle on the power play, would he have made the roster if he wasn’t one of the first six selections? He’s having his worst season of his career since 2018, and is one of the worst defensive forwards on the Rangers.
Gustav Nyquist was on that same 2018 team for Sweden, and was also part of Sweden’s 2014 Olympic team at Sochi, winning the silver medal. He, Viktor Arvidsson and Rakell have a wealth of experience provide a wealth of experience to the roster, who can help mentor the young Raymond (22 years old) and Leo Carlsson (19), who both have remarkable offensive skills. Nyquist brings playmaking to the team, while Arvidsson can drive the offense. Rakell was Sweden’s team leader in points during their gold medal run in the 2018 IIHF World Championship with six goals and eight assists.
The biggest key for Sweden is down the middle. While both Canada and USA are loaded with center depth, the Swedes can potentially match them with the likes of Pettersson, Eriksson Ek, Zibanejad, Lindholm and Carlsson. Two of them would have to play on the wing to begin the Four Nations Faceoff, but they can play center if they have to. Sweden has players that are versatile and excellent defensively. Historically, they’ve had players who are strong defensively yet offensively gifted, which has allowed them to thrive on the international stage, despite not having the recognition that Canada and USA do. This group also boasts good puck possession, speed, and finishing touches.
(Note: William Nylander is a dual citizen of Canada and Sweden.)
Defensemen for Sweden
| Player | Shoots | Birthplace | Team |
| Rasmus Andersson | Right | Malmö, Skåne | Calgary Flames |
| Jonas Brodin | Left | Karlstad, Värmland | Minnesota Wild |
| Rasmus Dahlin | Left | Trollhättan, Västra Götaland | Buffalo Sabres |
| Mattias Ekholm | Left | Borlänge, Dalarna | Edmonton Oilers |
| Gustav Forsling | Left | Linköping, Östergötland | Florida Panthers |
| Erik Karlsson | Right | Landsbro, Jönköping | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Victor Hedman | Left | Örnsköldsvik, Västernorrland | Tampa Bay Lightning |
Before the full rosters came out, Sweden announced three defensemen on the roster. Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson were no surprise, given they were two of the best defensemen in the NHL throughout the 2010s decade. Hedman is a very well-rounded player with passion and physicality, while Karlsson is one of the best pure offensive defensemen in the modern NHL’s history.
The other defenseman named to the roster early was Gustav Forsling, who has ascended from journeyman to one of the best defensemen in the league, and now gets the chance to represent his home country to show his excellence at his own end. While Rasmus Dahlin had to wait until final roster selections to be named to Sweden’s roster, he is a young, up-and-coming superstar defenseman who can man both ends of the ice. Many expect him to be paired with Hedman, while Forsling gets paired with Karlsson.
Logically, it would be believed the final pairing would be Mattias Ekholm and Rasmus Andersson. Ekholm finally gets his chance to shine after being traded to the Oilers in the 2023 trade deadline as one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league. Andersson has come into his own with Calgary as an underrated do-it-all defenseman. Jonas Brodin is the seventh defenseman, and while he hasn’t played over 85% of the Wild’s games in a season since 2022, when he’s on the ice, he’s a dangerous shutdown defenseman.
Sweden has tons of experience on defense, especially in the playoffs. The wild card of this group is Karlsson. While some say he’s not the same as he used to, this tournament could be exactly what he needs to get his mojo back. He’s been a star for Sweden in past tournaments, including the 2014 Olympics. This group is a defense-first group, and with who they have, they could have one of the more dangerous bluelines of this tournament.
Goaltending for Sweden
| Player | Catches | Birthplace | Team |
| Sam Ersson | Left | Falun, Dalarna | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Filip Gustavsson | Left | Skellefteå, Västerbotten | Minnesota Wild |
| Linus Ullmark | Left | Lugnvik, Västernorrland | Ottawa Senators |
The starting gig would have likely been a coin flip between either Jacob Markström or Filip Gustavsson had it not been for Markström’s MCL sprain that he sustained during the Devils’ January 22nd win over the Bruins. It’s a shame, because he was coming into his own with New Jersey, and was part of the Swedish world championship and World Cup of Hockey teams. He also had the edge on experience over Gustavsson, given he has 26 playoff game appearances to Gustavsson’s 5.
Both of them have the ability to take over when they’re on. Gustavsson is having a nice bounce-back season from his down year in 2023, as he is the backbone of the Wild’s torrid hot start in the Western Conference this season. While Minnesota has cooled off, their struggles without Kirill Kaprizov are not Gustavsson’s fault. He has 11.6 goals saved above expected, 7th among goalies with at least 30 games played this season, per MoneyPuck.
This crease would have originally belonged to Linus Ullmark. However, he had an extremely slow start to his tenure with the Senators, when he had an .888 save percentage, a sub-.500 record and a negative goals saved above expected metric at the time of his selection. He did turn it around to a 2.38 GAA, a .915 save percentage, a 12-7-0 record and a 9.2 goals saved above expected before he was placed on the IR. If he is available, he has the capability of taking over when needed.
So does Sam Ersson, who was named to the roster after Markström was forced to withdraw. Ersson went 8-2-0 with a .930 save percentage in his last 10 starts before being named as Markström’s replacement. He has represented Sweden five times internationally, including last year’s World Championships, in which his country took home bronze. Sweden, with their goalies and team defense, will have a great shot at minimizing goals against in this tournament.
Surprises for Sweden
Viktor Arvidsson: Arvidsson got one of the final roster selections over some of the younger Swedish forwards, despite injuries riddling his career in three of the last four seasons, including his start with the Oilers. However, when he’s healthy, he’s a complementary offensive winger that the Swedes can slide with any of their centers.
Gustav Nyquist: Nyquist wasn’t even in final roster conversations by many projections. However, he’s a proven goal-scorer with considerable experience on the international stage. He’s played for the Swedish national team in the 2014 Olympics and had three appearances in the IIHF World Championship. Yes, he does have just nine goals in 50 games this season with the Predators, way down from his 23 goals in 81 games last season, but he also does have 15 goals in 27 games at the international stage.
Rickard Rakell: Rakell didn’t get a lot of talk for one of the final roster spots at the Four Nations Faceoff before the season started, but to his credit, he is having a very strong year at both ends of the ice. Now that William Karlsson is forced to withdraw from the tournament, Rakell steps in as a solid replacement. He appeared in the World Championship twice for Sweden, though his first go-around in 2018 (14 points in 10 games) was much better than his second in 2021 (two points in seven games). Given his play this season, it’s not too shabby he got the nod, though some may credit Sidney Crosby more than Rakell for the latter’s strong season.
Snubs
William Eklund: The fact that Eklund was left off the roster was a surprise. He’s risen as one of the best players on the Sharks this season, and there were multiple reports in Swedish media that he’s made the final cut. Despite 23 points in 27 games at the time of final roster selections, and that he has 37 points in 49 games right now, he’s not on the roster. Even for the team having the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Lucas Raymond and Leo Carlsson, who are both born at or after the year 2000, Eklund could have also added more youth and offensive firepower to Sweden. Perhaps Anders Lundberg wanted Eklund to improve on his defense?
Hampus Lindholm: Lindholm is one of the more prominent players left off Sweden’s roster. However, there is justification for him not making the final cut. While he’s normally been a high-end second-pairing defenseman throughout his career, he was limited to just 17 games this season and has been sidelined since November 13th with a lower-body injury, in which he was shifted to the long-term IR three weeks ago, and it’s not known when he will return. Because of his injury situation at the time, instead of waiting on his status, Sweden chose the safer option and select Jonas Brodin.
Fabian Zetterlund: Zetterlund isn’t as young as Eklund is, but he emerged into a quality middle-six contributor with the Sharks after being part of the return package in the Timo Meier trade. He’s put up 24 goals in 82 games last season, he followed it up with 19 points in 27 games at the final roster selection time, though he has cooled off a bit after final roster selections, getting 13 points in the 25 games since. Still, he’s one of the better Sharks players offensively, although his defense doesn’t match the offensive output.
Overall
The Swedes have everything that it takes to pull off several upsets in this tournament, given their well-rounded experience and the potential of their goaltending. Throw in excellent two-way forwards that can shut down the best offensive players, along with two solid defensive pairings, and it can be realistic that Sweden can keep it a tight and close game with USA or Canada until one of their high-end forwards, like Pettersson, Nylander, Hedman, or even Karlsson, shines and puts on “the moment.” This is a good opportunity for Sweden to make a statement.
Projected Lineups for Sweden
Forward Lines
- Jesper Bratt — Mika Zibanejad — William Nylander
- Filip Forsberg — Elias Pettersson — Lucas Raymond
- Adrian Kempe — Joel Eriksson Ek — Viktor Arvidsson
- Gustav Nyquist — Elias Lindholm — Rickard Rakell
- Extra: Leo Carlsson
Defense Pairs
- Victor Hedman — Rasmus Dahlin
- Gustav Forsling — Erik Karlsson
- Mattias Ekholm — Rasmus Andersson
- Extra: Jonas Brodin
Goaltenders
- Starter: Filip Gustavsson
- Backup: Linus Ullmark
- Third String: Sam Ersson
Power Play
| First Unit | Second Unit | |
| Quarterback | Victor Hedman | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Left Circle | Mika Zibanejad | Filip Forsberg |
| Right Circle | William Nylander | Elias Pettersson |
| Bumper | Jesper Bratt | Adrian Kempe |
| Net-Front | Lucas Raymond | Elias Lindholm |
Penalty Kill
| First Unit | Second Unit | |
| Center | Mika Zibanejad | Joel Eriksson Ek |
| Forward | Adrian Kempe | Elias Lindholm |
| Left Defense | Gustav Forsling | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Right Defense | Mattias Ekholm | Rasmus Andersson |
Check out our other Four Nations Face-Off Breakdowns:
Sponsor BreaksGPT.com
Say hello to our newest sponsor BreaksGPT.com. BreaksGPT.com is providing you with your favorite NFL sports memorabilia at reasonable prices, while also doing daily breaks at 5 pm CT LIVE on Tik Tok. Follow BreaksGPT on all your favorite social media platforms to stay informed on their latest items up for sale, and anytime you make a purchase use our code Shady5 to save $5 and let them know we sent you! In the process you help support Shady Sports Network continue to produce content!
YouTube
Please also help us continue growing on our YouTube Channel by subscribing if you haven’t already. Also like and comment on any videos you enjoy! Thank you for your support and we hope you continue to tune in!
Discord/Facebook Groups
Are you on discord or facebook? Join our server/groups to jump in the conversation, stay up to
date on your favorite leagues and give us your jot takes. You can also promote your content!
Discover more from Shady Sports Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
One thought on “Sweden Preview: 2025 Four Nations Faceoff”