After a silver medal finish at last year’s World Junior Championships, Team Sweden has a mystery to them this time around. The absence of the Djurgårdens trio of Liam Öhgren, Noah Östlund, and reigning MVP Jonathan Lekkerimäki is going to be felt.
Nonetheless, the Swedes still bring a lot of really attractive talent to the table and will be heavy favourites to podium again. Let’s take a look at the players that hope to lead them there.
Goaltenders
Melker Thelin – IF Björklöven (HockeyAllsvenskan) – Utah HC (2023, 5/134)
Marcus Gidlöf – Leksands IF (SHL)—New York Islanders (2024, 5/147)
Melvin Strahl – Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) – Columbus Blue Jackets (2023, 5/156)
HM: Love Härenstam – Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Nationell) – 2025 Draft Eligible
Melker Thelin, as the only returning goaltender, is likely to be given the first crack at the starter’s job. For good reason too, Thelin has been lights out for his club IF Björklöven, dropping only a single game in regulation so far this season. His combination of success at the club level and international experience will likely make him hard to deny.
Backing him up will likely be Gidlöf; the 6’6 Islanders draftee has found a lot of success at the SHL level this season to complement his undefeated record at the U20 level. Melvin Strahl, who is tied for the winningest goalie in the USHL, will round out the goalie room.
Defenders
Theo Lindstein – Brynäs IF (SHL) – St. Louis Blues (2023, 1/29)
Axel Sandin-Pellikka – Skellefteå AIK (SHL)—Detroit Red Wings (2023, 1/17)
Tom Willander – Boston University (NCAA) – Vancouver Canucks (2023, 1/11)
Alfons Freij – IF Björklöven (HockeyAllsvenskan)—Winnipeg Jets (2024, 2/37)
Willhelm Hallquisth – HV71 (SHL) – 2025 NHL Draft Eligible
Axel Hurtig – Calgary Hitmen (WHL) – Calgary Flames (2023, 7/208)
Axel Landén – IK Oskarshamn (HockeyAllsvenskan) – San Jose Sharks (2023, 5/130)
HM: Noel Fransén – Västerås IK (HockeyAllsvenskan) – Carolina Hurricanes (2024, 3/69); Leo Sahlin Wallenius – Växjö Lakers HC (SHL) – San Jose Sharks (2024, 2/53)
The Swedish blueline is the perfect mix of old and new. The top pairing of Theo Lindstein/Axel Sandin-Pellikka is sure to be a fun watch again. The two formed one of the most potent offensive pairings in the tournament and saw Lindstein lead the tournament in scoring.
The first big question on the Swedish roster comes in the form of “Who will play with Tom Willander?” While popular options including recent draftees Noel Fransén and Leo Sahlin Wallenius make strong candidates, I am going to take a swing and say it will be the highest drafted among them in Alfons Freij. Noel Fransén has been a bit too recent a development to be too confident in his placement, even if he’d be the strongest candidate based on recent performance, and Leo Sahlin Wallenius has struggled heavily both at the recent U18s and with his club to start the season. Neither seems to share the history and overall ability that Freij has shown dating back to his draft year, and it makes him my contender to hold down the second pairing.
With a super high-flying top four, I imagine the Team Sweden will pivot to more of a shutdown pair to round out the top six. The bruising Axel Hurtig and mature Willhelm Hallquisth feel like strong contenders in that context. With Axel Landén in spare, the Swedes’ bottom pair promises to be a tough one to play against.
Forwards
Otto Stenberg – Malmö Redhawks (SHL) – St. Louis Blues (2023, 1/25)
Felix Unger Sörum – Chicago Wolves (AHL) – Carolina Hurricanes (2023, 2/62)
David Edstrom – Frölunda HC (SHL) – Vegas Golden Knights (2023, 1/32)
Anton Wahlberg – Rochester Americans (AHL) – Buffalo Sabres (2023, 2/39)
Felix Nilsson – Rögle BK (SHL) – Nashville Predators (2023, 2/43)
Zeb Forsfjall – Skellefteå AIK (SHL)—Seattle Kraken (2023, 6/180)
Victor Eklund – Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) – 2025 NHL Draft Eligible
Linus Eriksson – Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) – Florida Panthers (2024, 2/58)
Jack Berglund – Färjestad BK (SHL) – Philadelphia Flyers (2024, 2/51)
Lucas Pettersson – MoDo Hockey (SHL) – Anaheim Ducks (2024, 2/33)
Herman Träff – HV71 (SHL) – New Jersey Devils (2024, 3/91)
Oskar Vuollet – Skellefteå AIK (SHL) – Carolina Hurricanes (2024, 5/133)
Anton Frondell – Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) – 2025 NHL Draft Eligible
HM: Noel Nordh—Soo Greyhounds (OHL)—Utah HC (2023, 3/72); Simon Zether—Västerås IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)—Florida Panthers (2024, 4/129); David Granberg, Luleå HF (SHL)—2025 NHL Draft Eligible
Sweden may not have the firepower to hang with Canada and the US on paper, but this is a very sneakily good lineup. The forever-underrated Felix Unger Sörum is going to be the name to watch, as his trajectory has done nothing but soar since draft day. This tournament proves yet another opportunity for Unger Sörum to make waves in the hockey world. He will be joined by fellow returnees Otto Stenberg, David Edstrom, Zeb Forsfjall, and fellow AHLer Anton Wahlberg.
The next big story lies in the 2025 draft-eligibles, particularly Victor Eklund. For a team that will likely need all the offensive help they can get, Eklund has a serious opportunity to punch into this team’s top six. He’s joined by Anton Frondell, who will also be looking to take his stock up a serious note. Injuries and rough play have plagued Frondell’s season thus far, but a strong tournament can make all that noise disappear, granted he makes the team.
Outside of that, a lot of very interesting names look to round out the roster. Felix Nilsson has been on a tear in the SHL, seeing first-line minutes for Rögle at times. He will likely be looked upon to play a top-six role. Linus Eriksson completes the new Djurgårdens trio and will likely be counted on as a top PKer and bottom-six forward. Lucas Pettersson was a major mainstay on the Swedish international roster this past season, and I imagine the faith in him will persist, even if it’s in a more reserved bottom-six role. Jack Berglund and Herman Träff will be bringing that size and grit. It’s unlikely that the Swedes will have an issue playing a two-way game, so taking Vuollet as some extra offensive firepower seems like it makes sense. I can see Vuollet and Frondell competing for the last spot on the 3rd line when it’s all said and done.
Opening Day Projected Lineup
Stenberg – Edstrom – Unger Sörum
Eklund – Wahlberg – Nilsson
Vuollet – Forsfjall – Pettersson
Eriksson – Berglund – Träff
Lindstein – Sandin-Pellikka
Freij – Willander
Hurtig – Hallquisth
Thelin
Gidlöf
Extras: Frondell, Landén, Strahl
Check back here at RecruitScouting.com for more coverage of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and beyond as the year goes on.