While the 2022 Swedish World Junior team is a deep squad, the lack of advanced talent will make it difficult to compete with the top nations. One year after Sweden’s long round-robin winning streak ended 2-2 on the way to a fourth place, they will have a hard time getting back on the podium.

There is no doubt that Sweden should get through the group stage, but the team to beat will be Russia, which has accumulated fantastic talent and should challenge for the championship as a whole. They are both in a tough group, with the USA, Slovakia and Switzerland joining them. Each setback in the group stage can mean a quarter-final match with Finland or Canada.

Strengths

As always, the Swedish team’s strength will be from the net and out, with their goalkeepers and defense. Jesper Wallstedt is probably the clear number one, with Calle Clang backing him up. Wallstedt looked solid in the starts he got in Ängelholm during the 4-Nations tournament in November, even though he was sometimes left alone by the Swedish defense.

The goalkeeper from Luleå was perceived as a top-10 NHL draft pick, but fell to Minnesota Wild in election 20. He has been strong for Luleå in the SHL, with 1.82 goals against average and 0.923 save percentage in 17 matches. He is strong and an offensive goalkeeper who will challenge forwards at any time. He is tough to rattle, and will be able to carry the Swedish team forward.

If you look at the defense, the main player is Simon Edvinsson, who has taken on a first-class role with Frölunda together with former NHL player Christian Folin. Edvinsson will be used in all situations by the coaching staff, and WJC should be a kind of coming-out party for the average hockey fan. He will have free rein, much like the way Rasmus Dahlin and Rasmus Sandin had before him.

The defense is so deep that coach Tomas Montén has left William Wallinder from the playlist, one of the best U20 defenders in Sweden. The Detroit Red Wings Prospect has created a role with Sweden’s and possibly continental Europe’s best team, Rögle, and it is surprising that he has been left off the list. Like Thomas Bordeleau on Team USA, it is a difficult omission because a positive covid-19 test also left him from last year’s list.

Weaknesses

The forward group lacks a bit of quality and I can not see Sweden challenging the top challengers even if they manage to keep the score down. Their forward group can all come down to the NHL talent on the list: William Eklund and Alexander Holtz. Neither of them really needs an introduction because they both made their NHL debuts this year. Eklund was sent back to Sweden to get more minutes, and Holtz played six matches New Jersey Devils before being sent to the AHL for further development.

In addition to these two, it is a deep group, but one that does not necessarily have the ability to make things happen offensively.

The X factor

The two wild cards on the front are Isak Rosén and Zion Nybeck, great offensive-minded players who need to be used in the right way to benefit the Swedish team. Nybeck oozes skill and he can dangle with the best of them, the question is whether he will manage it on a smaller rink. Rosén is a player who uses his skates and his speed to reach defenders. His skating technique is fantastic, and he will forge shoulder and hip players to go in the wrong direction to create space for himself.

There is undoubtedly skill in this Swedish team, but it is a great leap from the first row to the second. For me, it is about the first unit of Edvinsson and Grans in the defense and Holtz, Eklund and Oskar Olausson at the front. If that line works on five-on-five as well as on power play, then Sweden will look okay, but I do not see that the other lines can create as much offensive as Russia, Canada, USA or Finland.