Sweden has got a super team for the WC.
Expert Per Svartvadet disagrees when he gives his honest verdict on the quality.
– I can’t remember anything better, he says.
Sweden chases gold when the WC is played in Prague. On Wednesday, national team captain Sam Hallam takes out his squad, and on Friday it’s opening day when the USA awaits. And it’s safe to say, to say the least, that expectations are high.
The star players in the WC
It is always unclear how many NHL players choose to join the WC, and a lot also depends on which teams go to the playoffs in the league. But this year, many thought there would be more star players than usual, given that there are partly the Olympics with NHL players in 2026, and partly a four-team tournament next year, then with only NHL players.
Many therefore want to show off and show that they belong in the upcoming troops, and that is exactly what has happened for Sweden. Although perhaps the biggest star available, William Nylander, looks set to decline the tournament, there is plenty of stardom, and the reverse side in particular impresses. Erik Karlsson, who last year scored 100 points in the NHL, makes his first WC in twelve years. And he is joined by perhaps the best defenseman in the NHL of the last decade, Victor Hedman.
The expert’s play
When Radiosport’s expert Per Svartvadet gives his verdict on the World Cup squad, he does not hold back about the quality that actually exists, and the words should make every Swedish hockey lover rejoice.
– The backside is the best Sweden has had since… Yes, I can’t remember Sweden having so many top players in a WC tournament on the backside ever really. This could be the flip side of the Olympics, he says.
He also believes that Sam Hallam now has the experience required to lead Sweden to WC gold.
– Now he has learned how a World Cup tournament works, he knows what he needs to push for, what qualities he needs from the players. And now he’s got a great gang!
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