2028 World Cup of Hockey: Early Team Sweden roster projections
With Uffe Bodin
It wasn’t long ago that the exercise of constructing best-on-best rosters was pure fantasy, as we went 11 years between seeing NHLers compete for undisputed international hockey supremacy. Today? We’re spoiled. We had the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the Olympics in 2026, and we’ll get a World Cup in 2028 before another Olympic tournament in 2030.
We no longer have to operate in the theoretical; we’ve seen the world’s most elite men’s hockey nations clash. We know which players flourished and which didn’t. When we project rosters going forward, we do so making educated guesses this time around.
This summer at Daily Faceoff, we’ll kick tires on what the top World Cup rosters might look like. The eight participating nations aren’t confirmed, but we know what the top half dozen countries will be at least.
A few rules to know for this exercise:
1. Just as the 4 Nations did, we’ll use NHL-sized rosters rather than the Olympic-sized ones in these projections. That means 20 skaters and three goalies rather than the 22 and three that teams brought to Milan this winter – until or unless the NHL confirms a roster-size change.
2. The tournament is 19 months away, and teams will likely be finalized around 17 months from now, so we’ll do a fair amount of age-based projection here, whether that means the ascension and best-on-best debuts of certain youngsters or the aging out of some players from 2026 Olympic squads.
We began with Canada, USA and Finland earlier this month. Next, we look at a nation itching to break through with a stronger medal push: Sweden, which disappointed at the 4 Nations and Olympics but teased an exciting next generation by winning the 2026 World Juniors.
FORWARDS (13) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Adrian Kempe | Leo Carlsson | William Nylander |
| Filip Forsberg | Joel Eriksson Ek | Lucas Raymond |
| Ivar Stenberg | Anton Frondell | Jesper Bratt |
| William Eklund | Elias Pettersson | Gabriel Landeskog |
| Mika Zibanejad |
Ah, it feels good to inject a somewhat stale forward group with some exciting new blood. Frondell and Stenberg represent the next wave of top-end Tre Kronor talent. They won’t necessarily have to do the heaviest lifting by 2028, though. Carlsson, the Anaheim Ducks’ $18-million man, is Sweden’s alpha now, and the likes of Kempe, Nylander and Raymond will still be prime-year contributors by 2028. But Frondell and Stenberg will surely be needed for more responsibility at the 2030 Olympics, so the World Cup is the ideal time to break them in.
Biggest flex: I pushed out some reliable veterans like Alexander Wennberg and Elias Lindholm to get the kids into this lineup, and I have some players used to playing scoring-line roles maturing into bottom-sixers by 2028. Is it wishful thinking to still have Landeskog in there when he’ll be 35? I figure he can play checking-line minutes while still providing dressing room support as captain.
Toughest cut: I’m a big Viggo Björck believer. I don’t know if he’ll have enough NHL experience by 2028 to land on the national team radar, though. Maybe for 2030? I’d also like Emil Heineman on this team, especially if Landeskog has aged out a year and a half from now.
Also considered: Rickard Rakell, Emil Heineman, Alexander Wennberg, Pontus Holmberg, Elias Lindholm, Viggo Björck, Victor Eklund, Viktor Arvidsson, Simon Holmström, Noah Östlund, William Karlsson
FORWARDS (13) – Uffe Bodin’s picks
| Ivar Stenberg | Leo Carlsson | Lucas Raymond |
| Adrian Kempe | Joel Eriksson Ek | William Nylander |
| Jesper Bratt | Mika Zibanejad | Filip Forsberg |
| Simon Holmström | Elias Lindholm | Gabriel Landeskog |
| William Eklund |
Change should be coming, but Sweden is in a tricky spot here. There are some great talents in line to make a strong international impression. But who will be ready to surpass the aging veteran core made up of players born in the first half of the ’90s? It feels like it might be too soon for players like Anton Frondell and Viggo Björck to make that jump. But I sure hope they prove me wrong. After the disappointing results at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and this year’s Olympics, Sweden could use an overhaul of its roster.
Biggest flex: Will Landeskog’s body hold together for another few seasons? Can we expect Zibanejad to still be productive in his mid-30s, and will Forsberg continue to score at this impressive level in two years? I keep some of the veterans around on this roster, but I know full well that Father Time is undefeated and that things can change in a hurry for these players.
Toughest cut: In the best of worlds, Elias Pettersson will figure things out over the next couple of seasons and be an obvious choice for this roster. But as it stands right now, I have a really hard time finding a spot for him here. His play on the ice will need to convince me that he belongs.
Also considered: Elias Pettersson, Noah Östlund, Anton Frondell, Viggo Björck, Emil Heineman, Fabian Zetterlund, Felix Unger Sörum
DEFENSEMEN (7) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Gustav Forsling | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Simon Edvinsson | Jonas Brodin |
| Philip Broberg | Erik Karlsson |
| Victor Hedman |
A changing of the guard has begun. Edvinsson didn’t make the grade for Milan, but that won’t happen again. The 6-foot-6 minute muncher is ready to play a prominent best-on-best role, while Brodin, who missed the 2026 Winter Games due to injury, will get another crack at shutdown duty.
Biggest flex: Maybe I’m being optimistic about Brodin given he’ll be 34 in February 2028, but the Swedish brass still relies on him if he’s healthy. It also feels strange making legends Karlsson and Hedman my 6-7 blueliners here, but it makes sense to hand them sheltered matchups and/or play them sparingly given they’ll both be 37 by the tournament.
Toughest cut: Rasmus Andersson is in his prime and plays a lot of minutes on a Vegas Golden Knights team that just went to the Stanley Cup Final, but he’s not a good defensive player, and the Swedes have superior offensive options, too, so I couldn’t find a fit for him. Mattias Ekholm continues to be a conspicuous omission, but as we’ve told you before in this space: he fell out of favor with his comments about playing time post-4 Nations.
Also considered: Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm, Tom Willander
DEFENSEMEN (7) – Uffe Bodin’s picks
| Rasmus Dahlin | Simon Edvinsson |
| Gustav Forsling | Erik Karlsson |
| Philip Broberg | Tom Willander |
| Rasmus Andersson |
We will probably see some fresh faces in bigger roles compared to the defensemen we’ve seen in the past two best-on-best tournaments. Edvinsson is on the rise, while Broberg was one of the bright spots at the Olympics and really proved he belonged. I’m also curious to see which other younger defensemen can challenge the more experienced players. Still, I couldn’t help but include Karlsson here. Despite closing in on 38 at the time of this tournament, I can see a scenario where he’s still good enough to compete with the youngsters.
Biggest flex: I’m really curious to see what Willander will look like in two years. He will certainly get his fair share of ice time with a rebuilding Vancouver Canucks team, but whether that makes or breaks him (considering the team will likely struggle for a few years) remains to be seen. I’m still bullish on Willander and think he might follow in the footsteps of players like Broberg and Edvinsson.
Toughest cut: Not including a legend like Victor Hedman is obviously a tough decision. I don’t doubt that he can rebound from this past rough year. It’s more a question of whether he can rebound in a way that makes him a prime candidate for this team. At the moment, that seems like a stretch.
Also considered: Axel Sandin Pellikka, Jonas Brodin, Victor Hedman, Hampus Lindholm, Elias Salomonsson
GOALIES (3) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Jesper Wallstedt |
| Filip Gustavsson |
| Linus Ullmark |
Wallstedt’s coronation is here. He has already leapfrogged countryman Gustavsson as the Minnesota Wild’s preferred stopper, and the gap will have widened by 2028. Gustavsson remains a sturdy No. 2, while Ullmark should be a pretty safe No. 3 option assuming he bounces back from an inconsistent 2025-26 campaign with the Ottawa Senators.
Biggest flex: None? These three feel pretty obvious as the top choices.
Toughest cut: Again, none. Jacob Markström had a good run, but he’s declining and will turn 38 just days before the World Cup begins.
Also considered: Jacob Markström, Anton Forsberg, Dennis Hildeby, Love Härenstam
GOALIES (3) – Uffe Bodin’s picks
| Jesper Wallstedt |
| Filip Gustavsson |
| Linus Ullmark |
It wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if Jesper Wallstedt had separated himself from the pack by the time this tournament rolls around. Based on last season, his trajectory suggests he may be a tier above the rest. Gustavsson should also be in his prime at the time of this tournament, but his recent international play — albeit in a very small sample size — doesn’t do him any favors. Ullmark is the wild card here. At 35, he could still be a very good goalie.
Biggest flex: None. Logic says these three goalies should be on the roster if they stay healthy.
Toughest cut: Jacob Markström was great at the Olympics. But he will be 38 when this tournament is played. It’s not impossible that he’ll still be in line for a roster spot, but his recent injury history and age don’t make him look like a likely choice.
Also considered: Carl Lindbom, Love Härenstam, Dennis Hildeby, Jacob Markström
_____
POST SPONSORED BY bet365
_____