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Team Sweden is still a month or two from dropping the puck on the 4 Nations Faceoff. However, the rosters for each team have already been unveiled. Team Finland released their roster on Wednesday afternoon. Team USA announced their roster on Wednesday evening, followed by Team Canada confirming their squad for the 4 Nations.
Sweden's announcement followed Finland's. And it's an intriguing roster, to say the least. For the most part, The Three Crowns are taking an experienced group to the tournament. However, there are some young stars such as Lucas Raymond and Leo Carlsson.
What Sweden's true ceiling is at this tournament remains to be seen. They don't have the star power that Canada and the US have. But there is legitimate quality at nearly every position. If any of the Scandinavian teams are able to take down the North American giants, Sweden has the best chance to do it.
In saying this, the roster certainly isn't perfect. In fact, it could be better with a few different decisions. With this in mind, here are two of the biggest Team Sweden snubs from the country's 4 Nations Faceoff roster.
Flames' Mikael Backlund is a shocking snub
Mikael Backlund is certainly not the player he used to be. The veteran Calgary Flames star has four goals in 27 games to begin the 2024-25 NHL season. However, he remains one of the best center icemen available to Team Sweden for the 4 Nations Faceoff. And yet, he did not make the roster.
Backlund is a solid playmaker as well as a solid option in the faceoff circle. He would have been an excellent bottom-six option for Team Sweden for the 4 Nations. His experience could have given him an edge over someone like Joel Eriksson Ek, for instance.
It's understandable why he was left off the Team Sweden roster. In any event, it remains a shocking decision. Backlund is an effective player who could make a difference for The Three Crowns at the 4 Nations. He is certainly a name to watch out for as a potential injury replacement for someone already on the roster.
Sharks' William Eklund could have made the 4 Nations Faceoff roster
William Eklund showed a ton of promise for the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24. And so far, this has continued in 2024-25. He only has five goals in 29 games. However, he has 23 points in those 29 games to make up for the lack of goal-scoring.
Eklund is one of the highest-scoring Swedish players in the NHL right now. He may not have the upside of a Lucas Raymond, perse, but he has shown to be an effective player. In fact, he is already a leading player on a Sharks team with prospects who have generated more hype than he has.
Eklund could have added a needed playmaking element to this offense. Sweden has a lot of talent, but they may struggle to score goals at the 4 Nations Faceoff. Eklund may not score them himself, to be fair. But he could have generated chances for players who are in positions to put pucks in the net.
Team Sweden is certainly a talented team. And they could very well surprise people at the 4 Nations Faceoff. However, they have the potential to be an even better team. Eklund is one player who could have give Sweden a major boost come mid-February.
