<p>All four countries released their finalized 4 Nations Face-Off rosters on Wednesday, beginning with Finland and Sweden. How does each roster look? What did its GM get right and wrong? <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/breaking-down-finlands-roster-for-the-4-nations-face-off/">You can find a breakdown for Finland here</a>. Now, let’s dive into Team Sweden. Watch for our Canada and USA breakdowns later today as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FORWARDS (13)</h2>



<p>Viktor Arvidsson (EDM)<br>Jesper Bratt (NJD)<br>Leo Carlsson (ANA)<br>Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN)<br>Filip Forsberg (NSH)<br>William Karlsson (VGK)<br>Adrian Kempe (LAK)<br>Elias Lindholm (BOS)<br>William Nylander (TOR)<br>Gustav Nyquist (NSH)<br>Elias Pettersson (VAN)<br>Lucas Raymond (DET)<br>Mika Zibanejad (NYR)</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEFENSEMEN (7)</h2>



<p>Rasmus Andersson (CGY)<br>Jonas Brodin (MIN)<br>Rasmus Dahlin (BUF)<br>Mattias Ekholm (EDM)<br>Gustav Forsling (FLA)<br>Victor Hedman (TBL)<br>Erik Karlsson (PIT)&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GOALIES (3)</h2>



<p>Filip Gustavsson (MIN)<br>Jacob Markström (NJD)<br>Linus Ullmark (OTT)</p>



<p>Team Sweden’s head coach Sam Hallam didn’t indulge in any surprises. When unveiling the roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the list of players was mostly met with shrugs and nods. And even though that might not feel exciting, it brings a sense of security and familiarity.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="152"></div>



<p>In some respects, this could be the strongest team Sweden has ever fielded in a best-on-best tournament. Sure, the team that won gold at the 2006 Olympics in Turin boasted several Hall of Famers in Henrik Lundqvist, Nicklas Lidström, Mats Sundin, Peter Forsberg, Daniel Alfredsson as well as the Sedin Twins. It’s hard to beat that. At the same time, this version of ”Tre Kronor” has another kind of depth.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While this team lacks a Henrik Lundqvist-caliber star in net, it compensates with three viable options. On the blueline, you arguably have some of the best defensemen the country has ever produced, and beyond that a depth that might only be matched by the Americans in this tournament.</p>



<p>Up front, there are a few question marks around potential key players like Mika Zibanejad and Elias Lindholm. But even if they fail to meet the lofty standards in February, Sweden still has a lot of firepower to rely upon. There might not be that bonafide superstar on the team, but there are plenty of players in the bracket just below that category, led by William Nylander, Elias Pettersson and the often overlooked Jesper Bratt.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="193"></div>



<p>All in all, it’s a team that should be able to keep up with their opponents. Could they win the whole thing? They surely won’t be the favorites, but in a short tournament like this, where puck luck and hot goaltending will play a big role, you can’t count them out.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Biggest reach</h2>



<p>Considering neither player has had a very good start to the season, I was surprised to see Viktor Arvidsson and Gustav Nyquist make the team. Arvidsson’s recent struggles stem from inconsistency and injuries, and he hasn’t really found his footing with the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a>. But when healthy, he’s an Energizer bunny that never gives you a dull moment. Nyquist has not matched the effectiveness of his first year with the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/nashville-predators/line-combinations">Nashville Predators</a>, but the seasoned vet has had great chemistry with Filip Forsberg and is someone who you can use up and down the line-up.&nbsp;</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="146"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Biggest omission</h2>



<p>With their hot start to the season, I was pretty sure that <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/san-jose-sharks/line-combinations">San Jose Sharks</a> dynamic duo William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund were due for a chance. Coach Hallam favored experience, opting for players like those mentioned above. It can be debated whether that was the right choice. Considering their performances in the first quarter of the season, these choices are debatable. Hampus Lindholm is another player that is missing. The injury that took him out of the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations">Boston Bruins’</a> lineup in mid-November probably took him out of the race in favor of Jonas Brodin.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Burning question</h2>



<p><em>Who will tend the net?</em></p>



<p>This one is fascinating. As mentioned above, Sweden has never been deeper in net. This could be both an advantage and a challenge. Good because it gives you three great options, bad because when you don’t have a clear-cut No. 1, the guessing game can take over and it’s easy to over-analyze things. With Gustavsson, Markström and Ullmark, there’s an argument for each goalie to be the starter. Gustavsson has been one of the best goalies in the league so far, Markström is the experienced, dependable guy who has a big presence in the dressing room, while Ullmark probably is the one out of the three with the biggest ceiling. How do you evaluate such a decision? My gut-feeling tells me it’s Markström’s job to lose.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="226"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Projected lines</h2>



<p>Bratt – Zibanejad – Nylander<br>Forsberg – Pettersson – Raymond<br>Kempe – Eriksson Ek – Lindholm<br>Nyquist – W. Karlsson – Arvidsson<br>Carlsson<br><br>Hedman – Dahlin<br>Forsling – E. Karlsson<br>Ekholm – Brodin<br>Andersson<br><br>Markström<br>Gustavsson<br>Ullmark</p>



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