Sweden Releases WJC Roster
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Defending gold medal team Sweden announced its roster for the upcoming 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships, which will take place later this month in Ufa, Russia.
The roster includes 14 players who have been drafted by an NHL team, and another nine who are eligible for the 2013 draft.
• Goaltenders: Joel Lassinantti — Niklas Lundstrom — Oscar Dansk
Lundstrom and Dansk have been drafted into the NHL, by St. Louis and Columbus, respectively. Lassinantti, who plays for Lulea HF, is eligible for the 2013 draft. Lundstrom currently plays with AIK, while Dansk tends net for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
• Defense: Emil Djuse — Jesper Pettersson — Christian Djoos — Rasmus Bengtsson — Tom Nilsson — Linus Arnesson — Mikael Vikstrand — Hampus Lindholm
Djuse is the lone eligible undrafted player on the blueline, while Pettersson and Arnesson are eligible next June. Djoos is a prospect of the Washington Capitals, while Bengtsson belongs to the Florida Panthers. Nilsson and Vikstrand are prospects of the Maple Leafs and Senators, respectively, while Lindholm (pictured above) was recently drafted by the Anaheim Ducks. He is the lone AHL representative on Team Sweden.
• Forwards: Alexander Wennberg — Jeremy Boyce-Rotevall — Viktor Arvidsson — Sebastian Collberg — Filip Forsberg — William Karlsson — Elias Lindholm — Max Gortz — Linus Froberg — Victor Rask — Rickard Rakell — Jacob de la Rose — Nick Sörensen — Emil Molin
Six forwards named to the team are eligible for the 2013 draft, with Linus Froberg as the sole eligible undrafted forward for Sweden.
Seven have been drafted by an NHL team: Collberg (MTL), Forsberg (WSH), Karlsson (ANA), Gortz (NSH), Rask (CAR), Rakell (ANA) and Molin (DAL).
Rask is the lone representative of the WHL on the Swedish team, while Sörensen is the only QMJHL player named to the squad. Rakell joins goaltender Dansk in representing the OHL for Team Sweden at the World Juniors.
The biggest exclusions on the roster are three notable missing names who will not return from last year’s gold medal-winning team. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom, an Oilers prospect, is dealing with a shoulder injury that will force him to miss the tournament. Fellow blueliner Jonas Brodin, a 2011 Minnesota Wild draft pick, has a broken clavicle.
Finally, forward Mika Zibanejad will remain in North America during the tournament at the request of the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him in 2012.
Team Sweden will have to narrow its final roster before the games begin, as the squad can include three goaltenders and 20 skaters. They’ll open camp on December 15 before the World Juniors begin on December 26.