Team Sweden

First of all, allow me to apologize for making an error in my last post. Technically, Belarus was the first country to unveil their Olympic roster for the hockey competition, not Russia. I have not done anything for them because I did not know they had announced. I will do another section, later, on the teams that are still in the tournament that are not expected to do much. Doesn't mean they won't, but I will make mention of them later.

At any rate, today we got a look at Team Sweden, who are the defending gold medalists from the 2006 games in Torino. Quite a good team.

Jonas Gustavsson (Toronto), Stefan Liv (HV71 Swedish Elite League), Henrik Lundqvist (NY Rangers). They have a total of 23 wins this season, between all 3 and Liv apparently hasn't really played for his swedish team this year, most of the wins coming from Lundqvist. GAA of 2.64 between Gustavsson and Lundqvist. Save percentage of .913 and 2 shutouts. The starter will be Lundqvist, I think that is safe to say. Gustavsson was quite sought after as an undrafted free agent this year, but Lundqvist is a proven starter in the NHL, and can definitely handle the pressure of major international competition. He will probably play the majority of the games for Sweden.

On defense, Sweden is very solid. This group will not break easily:
Tobias Enstrom (Thrashers), Magnus Johansson (Swedish Elite League), Niklas Kronwall (Red Wings), Nicklas Lidstrom (Red Wings), Douglas Murray (Sharks), Johnny Oduya (Devils), Mattias Ohlund (Lightning), Henrik Tallinder (Sabres).

This group is led by 6 time Norris Trophy winner (the NHL award for the league's best defenseman) who just always makes the right decisions. He jumps in when he should, and falls back when he should. You will almost never find him out of position, and he is a valuable asset for his team. He kills penalties, is more than solid 5 on 5, and quarterbacks the power plays with smart passing, and accurate shooting. He is getting up there in age, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the NHL and world's best D-men every year. Ohlund is another weapon. As an Avalanche fan, I am familiar with him from his time with the Vancouver Canucks. He is big and tough, and is a force on the power play because he has a HUGE shot. I would plan to see him and Lidstrom on the first PP line. This group, as a whole, doesn't make mistakes often. They are a combined +25, with only 2 players that are currently minus for the season. They just make smart plays and keep the puck out of their net.

Now on to the forwards:
Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa), Nicklas Backstrom (Capitals), Loui Eriksson (Stars), Peter Forsberg (Modo - SEL), Tomas Holmstrom (Red Wings), Patric Hornqvist (Predators), Fredrik Modin (Blue Jackets), Samuel Pahlsson (Blue Jackets), Daniel Sedin (Canucks), Henrik Sedin (Canucks), Mattias Weinhandl (KHL - Dynamo Moscow), Henrik Zetterberg (Red Wings)

The name that jumps out the most, to me anyways, is Peter Forsberg. He has a severe history of injury, but is actually playing decently for Modo this year with 8 goals and 7 assists in 9 games. As injured as he has been in the past, he was absolutely crucial to the success of the 2006 gold medal team, and will probably still be crucial to the success of this Olympic team.

Again, there is a lot of talent up front. The Sedin twins will obviously play on a line together, probably with Zetterberg or Forsberg. 3 big, strong players with unbelievable hands. They can power through you, or dance around you. Could be really tough to beat these guys. As talented as they are, however, they are also suffering a lot of injuries at the moment. Forsberg, Alfredsson, Zetterberg, Kronwall, all currently injured. There is a lot of time between now and the Olympics, but it can have an effect on the team.

As good as this team is, there are a few names that aren't around this time that were around in 2006 that may have an even larger effect on the team's success this time around. There is no Mats Sundin. There is no Markus Naslund. Missing those 2 guys could keep them down. I do see the Swedes getting into the medal round, even possibly as far as the Gold Medal round, but I'm not certain they stand a chance against a team like Russia.

Team grade: B+

Again, they should be able to make it to the Quarterfinals round with ease, but I am going to doubt that we'll see a repeat of the Swedish Gold Medal this time around. Let me know what you think! We'll be back on the 29th with brief mentions of Latvia, Norway, and Slovakia. The 30th will be a big day, when Canada, Finland, and the Czech Republic will all announce their teams.