Sweden
Despite a cornucopia of talent, Sweden’s latest gold medal drought stretches back to 2012. The Juniorkronorna’s only other title came in 1981. They settled for bronze in 2020 and 2022. For 2023, the Swedes enter with a respectable, strong roster. But it’s hard to label them as favourites versus Canada, Finland, or the United States.
Goaltender Carl Lindbom, 19, enters as the starter. Lindbom didn’t play in August despite being on the roster. The 2021 seventh-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights has excelled with a 1.78 GAA and 93.6 save percentage for Djurgarden in 21 HockeyAllsvenskan games this season.
The blue line is decent but unspectacular in the absence of Detroit Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson. There’s just one 2022 returnee in Ludvig Jansson, drafted this year in the fourth round by the Florida Panthers. The Sodertalje product, 18, went pointless in four outings in Edmonton. Skelleftea’s Axel Sandin-Pellikka is a potential 2023 first-round pick and will look to make an impression at age 17. Rogle’s Adam Engstrom, a 19-year-old making his World Junior debut, also brings a good skating game, if not much offence.
Sweden’s strongest suit is its forwards. This is Fabian Lysell’s last chance to dominate at a World Juniors at age 19. The top Boston Bruins prospect has racked up 19 points in 20 AHL games with Providence so far this year. Buffalo’s 2021 first-rounder Isak Rosen has also come out strong in his first AHL campaign with Rochester. Lysell and Rosen need to bring their A-games, but they should also get some offensive support.
After struggling with Djurgarden, Jonathan Lekkerimaki – chosen 15th overall by Vancouver this year – yearns to rediscover the form that brought him the 2022 U18 Worlds scoring title with 15 points. Noah Ostlund (16th overall to Buffalo) and Liam Ohgren (19th overall to Minnesota), Lekkerimaki’s Djurgarden teammates, have been quite productive in Allsvenskan, though. And Orebro’s Leo Carlsson, just 17, has impressed with 14 SHL points in 24 games.
Perhaps the best reason to believe in gold is head coach Magnus Havelid’s recent record. He’s taken over from Tomas Monten, whose run lasted from 2017 to 2022. Havelid, a 51-year-old Enkoping native, guided Sweden to victory at both the 2019 U18 Worlds in Ornskoldsvik and the 2022 tournament in Landshut. In 2019, Havelid had a stacked roster, including Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz, and Philip Broberg. This year, his Swedes surprisingly rode goalie Hugo Havelid (Magnus’s nephew) to victory. They got outshot 93-38 on aggregate in their semi-final and gold-medal wins over Finland and the U.S. respectively.
Bottom line: this coach finds a way. And that’s what Sweden needs at the World Juniors.
