Team Sweden released its final roster for the 2022 World Junior Championship on Wednesday, and while it includes a few familiar faces, it most notably contains six first-round draft picks from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. It’s a tough road to a medal, considering Canada, Russia, the USA, and Finland also have stacked rosters, but don’t sleep on The Swedes, who have not captured gold at the World Juniors since 2012.
They last earned a medal in 2020, winning bronze.
Related: Guide to the 2022 World Juniors
As with any tournament roster, there were a few omissions that caught fans by surprise, including defenseman William Wallinder, along with forwards Simon Robertsson and William Stromgren. New Jersey Devils forward Alexander Holtz announced Friday he would be permitted to play in the tournament as well, adding another first-round selection (7th overall in 2020) to an already-stacked roster.
Goaltenders
Calle Clang (Rögle BK), Jesper Vikman (Vancouver Giants), Jesper Wallstedt (Luleå HF)
Wallstedt leads the way between the pipes for Team Sweden, and he’s back for his second stint at World Juniors after posting a 2.40 goals-against average (GAA) and .923 save percentage (SV%) in two games at last season’s tourney. The 19-year-old was drafted 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but was projected by some to go much higher.
He’s known for tracking the puck extremely well, and is off to another solid start with Luleå HF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), as he presently has a 1.88 GAA and .928 SV% in 16 games (9-7-0) this season.
Clang, who was drafted 77th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020, has been on an absolute tear in international competition this season, as he’s compiled a 1.20 GAA and .951 SV%, including one shutout, in four games with Team Sweden. His numbers with Rögle BK in the SHL are a little more modest this year, as he’s notched a 2.73 GAA and .892 SV% in eight contests.
He most notably was named the HockeyAllsvenskan Best Junior player in 2020-21 after recording a 2.46 GAA and .919 GAA in 32 games. He came up huge in the relegation round, going 3-2-0 with a 1.49 GAA and .952 SV% in five games.
Clang is certainly a worth netminder if his number gets called, and can help steal some games if Team Sweden needs it.
Rounding out the goalies is Vikman, who was taken 125th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He’s posted good international juniors numbers in just two games this season, managing a 2.53 GAA and .921 SV% despite his 0-2-0 record.
The 19-year-old has been equally as good with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Vancouver Giants this season, compiling an 11-4-1 record, 3.12 GAA and .906 SV% in 16 games. Vikman may not be the most celebrated player on Team Sweden’s lineup, but he has the ability to make an impact should the team need him to.
Defensemen
Emil Andrae (HV71), Simon Edvinsson (Frölunda HC), Måns Forsfjall (Skellefteå AIK), Helge Grans (Ontario Reign), Leo Lööf (Ilves), Joel Nyström (Färjestad BK), Anton Olsson (Malmö Redhawks), Victor Sjöholm (HV71)
Edvinsson leads the way for Team Sweden on the blue line, and the 18-year-old, who was drafted sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason, has already been compared to NHL rookie Moritz Seider. That’s high praise, considering Seider is a front-runner for the Calder Trophy this season, but it’s for good reason. He presents great vision, and can make plays when there is seemingly little there.
His attention to detail and strong hockey IQ makes him an asset in the defensive zone, but he’s certainly not afraid to contribute offensively, either. In 23 games with Frölunda HC this season he’s got one goal and 12 assists, good for eighth on the team. He has two points, both assists, in International Juniors play with Sweden this season.
Keep your eyes on Emil Andrae as well, as the 19-year-old Andrae has performed exceptionally well with HV71 this season. Though just 5-foot-9 and 176 pounds, Andrae is known for his tough style of play, but can chip in offensively to boot.
He was drafted 58th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2020 Entry Draft, and is starting to get noticed around the league. To this point he’s recorded 16 points in 20 games with HV71, but he’s also got one goal and six assists in International Juniors play with Team Sweden this year. Andrae is no stranger to accolades, either, considering he recorded the most points by a defenseman in the J20 SuperElit league in 2019-20 after posting 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists in 40 games.
Keep an eye out for Lööf, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2020. The 19-year-old defenseman has scored consistently for the past few years, and has six points in 25 games for Ilves in Finland’s Liiga. Last season he played 19 games for Eskilstuna Linden Hockey on loan in Sweden’s Hockey Ettan League, and racked up three goals and 12 assists in 19 games.
The 6-foot-1 179-pound D-man is another bruiser, and he has delivered bone-crushing hits in the past. The Swedes certainly do not lack physicality heading into this season’s tournament.
Forwards
William Eklund (Djurgårdens IF), Elliot Ekmark (Linköping HC), Daniel Ljungman (Linköping HC), Fabian Lysell (Vancouver Giants), Oskar Magnusson (AIK), Theodor Niederbach (Frölunda HC), Zion Nybeck (HV71), Oskar Olausson (Barrie Colts), Isak Rosén (Leksands IF), Albert Sjöberg (Södertälje SK), Åke Stakkestad (BIK Karlskoga), Elias Stenman (Skellefteå AIK Jr.), Daniel Torgersson (AIK), Alexander Holtz (Utica Comets)
Team Sweden’s forward corps is set to be one of the strongest in the tournament, featuring four first-round picks from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Eklund (7th overall, San Jose Sharks), Rosén (14th overall, Buffalo Sabres), Lysell (21st overall, Boston Bruins), and Olausson (28th overall, Colorado Avalanche).
Eklund brings a small NHL sampling size, having appeared with the Sharks in nine games this season, and posted four points in the process. Currently on loan to Djurgårdens IF in the SHL, he’s notched five points, all assists, in eight games. He’s also participated on the international level in the past, most recently appearing for Team Sweden during 2020-21 play, recording a goal and an assist in four games.
He’s known for his high Hockey IQ and persistent effort, and will lead the charge with Team Sweden’s offense.
Rosén is known for his playmaking ability, and has already played with Sweden on the International Juniors circuit in the 2021-22 season, recording three points on one goal and two assists in nine games. In addition, he excelled last season in the U18 World Championships, as he helped the team to a bronze medal after posting nine points, including seven goals, in seven games.
He’s played 26 games with Leksands IF in the SHL, and has two goals and two assists over that span.
Lysell is tearing it up with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants this season, and has 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 21 games. The 18-year-old was also part of that U18 World Championships bronze medal team, and recorded nine points on three goals and nine assists in seven games.
Rounding out the first-round forwards on the team, Olausson is having a solid season to this point with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Barrie Colts. He’s got 25 points in 20 games, and his production is an almost-perfect split with 12 goals and 13 assists.
Though he hasn’t produced much at the international level to this point, Olausson does have three goals and one assist in U20 international play this season.
Holtz, who just confirmed his participation with Team Sweden on Friday, also brings some NHL experience to the roster. He spent six games with the Devils to this point in the season, recording two assists over that span. The 19-year-old has played primarily in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, and has six goals and four assists in 10 games.
Needless to say, his confirmation of participation pads an already-deep core of forwards for the Swedes.
Also, keep your eye on Niederbach, who will be expected to perform at a high level after a breakout season with Frölunda HC’s J20 team last season. He recorded 35 points in 19 games before ultimately getting promoted to the SHL, where he notched three goals and two assists in 20 games. He chipped in an assist in seven playoff games as well.
The 19-year-old was drafted by the Red Wings 51st overall in 2020, and his plus-23 rating with Frölunda’s J20 team last season was the best in the league.
Bottom Line for Team Sweden
Team Sweden has its work cut out for it in this year’s tournament, but is also amazingly deep at every position. Considering its roster has first-round selection in each category, there’s plenty of room for optimism, though it’s no small task to match up against the behemouths of the sport, including Canada, Russia, and the USA.
Still, if the roster performs to its potential — at least on paper — it’s going to be an equally tough night for its opposition.
| Team Canada | Preview | Roster |
| Team USA | Preview | Roster |
| Team Austria | Preview | Roster |
| Team Czechia | Preview | Roster |
| Team Finland | Preview | Roster |
| Team Germany | Preview | Roster |
| Team Russia | Preview | Roster |
| Team Slovakia | Preview | Roster |
| Team Sweden | Preview | Roster |
| Team Switzerland | Preview | Roster |
Guide to the 2022 World Junior Championship
Draft Eligible Players to Watch
One Player to Watch From Each Team
Breakout Candidates & Sleeper Prospects
Predictions for the 2022 World Junior Championship
Award Contenders and Predictions
Selection Camp Invites by NHL Team