Boston Bruins

Notable Players Left Off Team Sweden’s 4 Nations Face-Off Roster

Team Sweden has a strong team at the 4 Nations Tournament, but they left some notable names off of the official roster.

by
Spencer Lazary
December 4, 2024

The 4 Nations Face-Off rosters have been released, and it started with teams Finland and Sweden on Wednesday. The rosters were essentially what every NHL fan and media outlet had predicted. However, there were a few names that were left off that were shocking.

For Team Sweden, three players have played well this season and could have earned a spot on the roster. Instead, they could be injury fill-ins or watching from home while the tournament plays out Feb. 12-20, 2025.

William Eklund

First up is the youngster William Eklund. The San Jose Sharks rookie has been playing well for the team this season, but it seems that Sweden went with a few more experienced players for the tournament. Eklund could have found himself on the team if not for players like Gustav Nyquist or Viktor Arvidsson. Unfortunately, the management group went with a bit more experience along with their top talent players instead of youth.

Hampus Lindholm

Next up, Hampus Lindholm is an interesting name that many people had on the team just based on his name alone. Surprisingly, he was left off of the roster and Jonas Brodin of the Minnesota Wild was named. That is not to say it came down to Lindholm or Brodin. But the other six blue liners for Team Sweden were locks for the spots. Lindholm could be a player that is named if there is an injury and a player can’t make it, but it appears that there may be a shift in popular opinion on whether he should have made it or not.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Lastly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson may have been left off of a ton of prediction lists for Team Sweden. However, he has turned around his career since playing with the Florida Panthers last season. And has continued that play with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Ekman-Larsson, much like Lindholm, may find themselves as injury replacements. That said, he may be second to Lindholm if the chance ever arises.

The 4 Nation Face-Off runs Feb. 12-20 in what should a very exciting skilled and talented tournament. NHL fans, we finally get to see best-on-best.