Recently I looked at the top NHL talent from Finland. There is even more top level stars that hail from Sweden. Franzen, Zetterberg, and the Sedin twins draw similarities to what Ovechkin has done for hockey in Russia. They are veteran players who are the faces of their franchises and continue to produce at a high level today.
The young talent is equally as talented and promising. Many of Sweden’s top stars in the league today are born in the nineties. The above mentioned veterans may not be on international rosters or in the 2018 Olympics. The talent pool in this country does run deep though and they will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Henrik Lundqvist is one of the top goalies in the NHL and there are promising young net minders, but none compare to the level of play he brings. Lehner and Ullmark are both young raw talents that split time in Buffalo, while Nilsson is having a .500 season with Edmonton.
Goaltending is the only area of play where the talent pool is not deep for this country. The Norris trophy will likely be given to a Swedish player this year, either Erik Karlsson or John Klingberg. I also expect at least five forwards to finish with fifty or more points.
Erik Karlsson (D) Ottawa Senators drafted 15th 2008
He is a, if not the, top defenseman in the league, no questions about it. He already has forty five points this season with thirty six assists. He has played in 440 games and already recorded 348 points. He is well on pace to a Hall of Fame worthy career.
John Klingberg (D) Dallas Stars drafted 131st 2010
Out of nowhere he has emerged as a Norris contender and another point producing machine for a dangerous Stars team. He is still new to the league playing in only 109 games. His thirty eight points with thirty two assists and +10 rating this season show he has big promise. He could reach his 100th career point this season, as he is only twenty two away. One season does not make a career, but if this years’ success translates into more, he will be considered one of the biggest draft steals in recent years.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D) Arizona Coyotes drafted 6th 2009
Showing he is well worth a top ten pick, Oliver has developed into a top blue liner. Thirty two points this season with twenty assists and should reach 200 career points shortly. The Coyotes are a team full of young stars and will be exciting to watch going forward.
Victor Hedman (D) Tampa Bay Lightning drafted 2nd 2009
May have been drafted high back in 2009, but he has translated into a reliable defenseman for whatever team he is on. Twenty assists and a +12 rating this year show he is talented. Although 205 points over 434 games may not be what a number two pick should bring, as a defenseman a +21 career rating is just as desirable.
Gabriel Landeskog (LW) Colorado Avalanche drafted 2nd 2011
My ruling is in! Landeskog is a top line forward and well deserving of the number two pick. He has tallied thirty one points this year and in 321 games has 224 points with +28 rating. He will score his 100th soon and is a great player for Colorado to build around.
Filip Forsberg (LW) Nashville Predators drafted 11th 2012
He is still learning the game, but should make Preds fans happy for the foreseeable future. He has twenty eight points this year and in just 143 games, 97. With the recent addition of Johansen and veterans Fisher and Ribeiro he has many mentors and can become a point per game calibre player.
Mika Zibanejad (C) Ottawa Senators drafted 6th 2011
Another Swedish player taken in the top ten in 2011, he has become a reliable center on the Senators team. With 124 points in 242 games he has shown he can contribute on the stat sheet. He has twenty four points this season and, I think, has yet to reach his full potential.
Marcus Johansson (LW) Washington Capitals 24th 2009
Ovechkin and Backstrom are the 1-2 punch in Washington, but Marcus is a solid number 3-4. Twenty six points and a +11 rating are solid numbers. He has played in 384 games with 212 points. With the future Hall of Famers he plays with he may not become a point per game player, but having scoring threats on your second and third lines are key for Stanley Cup contenders.
Victor Rask (C) Carolina Hurricanes 42nd 2011
Another twenty six point player aims to help get Carolina back on track. The bad season for the Hurricanes cannot be labelled on this player. The Staal brothers have majorly underperformed and this team is primed for another top five pick in 2016. He is still learning the game with only 122 games under his belt. Although he has good mentors in the Staals’ his team needs to get more scoring power to excel.
Oscar Lindberg (C) New York Rangers 57th 2010
This rookie is having a great start to his career. With nineteen points and +6 rating the sky is the limit for Oscar and he may develop into a top line player down the road.
Honourable mention goes to Rickard Rakell (Anaheim, 8/11 E) and rookie Mattias Janmark (Dallas, 9/7 +11). One plays on a team that has fallen from the top last season and the other a Cup favourite.
All of these players bring great talent and skills to their respective teams. Some are future Hall of Famers and others have barely scratched the surface of their abilities.
If I were to put together an international or Olympic roster with the above ten players, it would look something like this;
1st line
Landeskog – Zibanejad – ?
2nd line
Forsberg – Rask – ?
3rd line
Johansson – Lindberg – ?
Defense
Karlsson – Ekman Larsson
Klingberg – Hedman
*stats as of January 12th
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