Predicting the Team Sweden Roster for 2026 Milan Olympics

This article is part of an ongoing series of Predicting Olympic Rosters as Chris, Roberto, and Chip take note of how each country could line up for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. To view more projected rosters in this series go here.

For the first time since Sochi in 2014, the NHL will be participating in the Winter Olympics. Well, at least they’re supposed to. If you haven’t been keeping up with Olympic news, there’s some concern the arena in Milan that’s still under construction won’t be ready in time, and it’s already been confirmed that the size of the rink will be smaller than the standards agreed upon by the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and Olympic committees. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has even said there isn’t a zero percent chance that the players won't be going.

But assuming the players go as planned, and as we inch closer to kicking off the 2026 Milan Olympic Games, Chris Feldman, Roberto Solis-Byxbee, and Chip are here with projections on how some of the rosters will shape out for some of the top countries in the tournament.

Team Sweden finished third at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season and is one of the favorites for the bronze medal heading into the 2026 Milan Olympics. They will face an opposite situation from the Finns, seeing as they will get their captain back for this tournament with Gabe Landeskog returning after missing two years with a knee injury.

Chris' Projected Roster 

Forsberg - Zibanejad - Kempe
Bratt - Eriksson Ek - Nylander
Eklund - Carlsson - Raymond
Landeskog - Pettersson - Lindholm
Karlsson - Backlund - Rakell

Dahlin - Andersson
Brodin - Hedman
Forsling - Karlsson
Ekholm - Broberg 

Gustavsson - Markström - Ullmark

They ended up finishing last in the 4-Nations Face Off, but at full health this is a country that could certainly make some noise in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Of the names that made the 4-Nations roster, the only two I left off are Gustav Nyquist and Viktor Arvidsson. Replacing them are William Eklund, Mikael Backlund, Rickard Rakell, and, of course, Gabe Landeskog, who missed last season with injury and has already been named to the roster. 

Joining the defense corps for Team Sweden is Phillip Broberg, taking that last opening on the back end. There are plenty of other names that could be in consideration: Hampus Lindholm, Rasmus Sandin, and Marcus Pettersson among them. But Broberg is just an incredibly exciting two-way defender who is on the brink of a true breakthrough in becoming more of a household name. What better stage than the Olympics for him to take that chance and run with it?

Defense is where this team is going to excel. Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Hedman, Jonas Brodin, and Rasmus Andersson are an outstanding top four, and that's not to mention Gus Forsling who will be in that mix as well. Erik Karlsson may not be the Erik Karlsson he was close to a decade ago, but with so many defensively strong blue liners already making up the roster, he'll get the chance to thrive as an offensive threat and power play specialist, likely on the third pair. In general, this team is going to have a great mix of veterans and young stars, with Leo Carson and Lucas Raymond being two forwards to watch out for in this tournament.

Chip's Projected Roster

Forsberg - Zibanejad - Nylander
Landeskog - Eriksson Ek - Kempe
Eklund - Carlsson - Raymond
Bratt - Pettersson - Lindholm
Karlsson - Backlund - Rakell

Dahlin - Andersson
Karlsson - Hedman
Forsling - Brodin
Ekholm - Broberg 

Gustavsson - Markström - Ullmark

This is fairly straightforward. In a meh season for the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has re-established himself as the player the Rangers thought they were buying into when they gave him his long term extension a couple of years back. Gabriel Landeskog has worked his way back from a devastating injury and joins the crew. The third line of Eklund, Carlsson, and Raymond is a fun line of kids with bright futures.

On defense, if Mika’s resurgence has been a great story, Erik Karlsson’s has been a very good one. The once sure-fire Hall of Famer had a rough go of it for several years, but now looks to be turning back the clock at age 35. Good for him. Good for the Swedes, too. 

Roberto's Projected Roster

Forsberg - Zibanejad - Kempe
Bratt - Carlsson - Nylander
Landeskog- Eriksson Ek - Raymond
Eklund- Pettersson - Lindholm
Karlsson - Backlund - Rakell

Dahlin - Andersson
Forsling - Karlsson
Brodin - Hedman
Lindholm - Ekman-Larsson

Gustavsson - Ullmark- Wallstedt

Regardless of who makes the final cut for Team Sweden, I think they're going to make some noise and surprise a lot of people in the upcoming round-robin tournament. Chris and Chip have great rosters. I agree entirely with the corps of forwards they've assembled. However, I think Leo Carlsson is going to get a big bump in responsibility early on, and it'll be his role to lose. Additionally, I think Landeskog will feature prominently on the third line.

The available defensive talent Sweden has the privilege to cherry-pick through is sickening. There really aren't any wrong answers. I love the idea of Phillip Broberg getting the chance to step up for his country, but I have a hard time seeing them change the guard with how stacked their top six already is. I have Hampus Lindholm and the resurgent Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the final options for Sweden. It's likely Ekman-Larsson doesn't get much ice time, but his offensive acumen and veteran career make him an intriguing option.

Jesper Wallstedt has been an impenetrable brick wall this season. Recording four shutouts in 14 games is a small sample size, but it's a hell of a sample anyway. It's likely those responsible for assembling this super team won't see eye to eye with me on this one, but Wallstedt's play, in my opinion, has placed him on this team. The question remaining was who gets the boot, and sadly for him, it's Jacob Markstrom. Linus Ullmark has been having a slightly better year and is a few years younger. Filip Gustavsson is having a solid season himself, and besides, there's no way I'm going to separate the Minnesota Wild goalies. Both going to Milan is too fun of a storyline.