Fantasy Hockey Four Nations Face-Off | Team Sweden In-Depth Analysis and Prediction

Next in this four-part series, we're going to break down each of the rosters for the Four Nations Face-Off, and give some projections of how each team is going to perform, as well as cover any injuries, replacements, and what this may mean for your fantasy team.

Second up is Team Sweden. Let's dive in, shall we?

Roster

Forwards

Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers

Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils

Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks

Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild

Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators

Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings

Elias Lindholm, Boston Bruins

William Nylander (A), Toronto Maple Leafs

Gustav Nyquist, Nashville Predators

Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins *

Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

Defensemen

Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames

Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Mattias Ekholm (A), Edmonton Oilers

Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers

Victor Hedman (C), Tampa Bay Lightning

Erik Karlsson (A), Pittsburgh Penguins

Goalies

Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia Flyers *

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild

Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators

Injuries

William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights

Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils

Notable Opinions

Another couple injuries to tackle on this roster. Markstom is a huge blow to the back end of this team, although they do still have solid goaltending without him - more on the crease savers later.

William Karlsson is a loss in ways, but was among the least talented forwards on the roster, and in my opinion the addition of Rakell is a better fit for this team than Karlsson as Rakell is having the season of his life. Rakell is trying to hold down the fort with the absence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the Penguins.

Rakell is more of a finisher than Karlsson. Stat for stat, Rakell is also better than Karlsson in every category this year, and is having to face some pressure while missing Sid and Geno, as well as resurrecting his play down the middle.

Up front this team is loaded with talent. This team of ‘super Swedes' has more firepower than you can shake a stick at. With the likes of … well what, am I going to list every player? This is an All-Star roster up front. But we'll list some notables since you asked.

Nylander has 33 goals leading the Maple Leafs ahead of last year's Rocket Richard winner Auston Matthews. If that's not notable I don't know what is. He continues to be the backbone of the Maple Leafs and their most consistent player year over year. He can skate, finish, and continue to produce when everyone around him dries up. He is front and center stage in Toronto and can deal with media pressure, although when it comes to the postseason, well we know how that goes for the Maple Leafs, don't we?

Bratt continues to be a monster on the Devils, putting up 47 assists on the year. He's been playing at nearly a point a game the past few seasons, and is among the most consistent Devils year over year. Somehow still underrated and overlooked, this player always falls in fantasy drafts and is one you should be keeping your eye on, and is going to be a huge help to Sweden's playmaking offence.

Forsberg is having a slumping year, but is still playing at a point per game pace. Last year he couldn't not score and had several multi-goal efforts. The Preds this year just have not been there. After going out and signing Steven Stamkos, they should have easily been contenders but just haven't been. With the team as a whole struggling for offense, Forsberg can't be held solely accountable for this, so watch for him to score in bunches during the tournament.

The last forward I will note is Pettersson. Who knows with this player. This will be a real test to see if he can bounce back. After a drama filled season seeing J.T. Miller be shipped out of Vancouver as a means of solving a feud, all Vancouverites' eyes will be on Pettersson to watch for a resurgence in offense, as well as chemistry with fellow Swedes to come back post tournament and light it up.

In the back end, I think it's a coin toss here. You have some offensive weapons, and some stay at home defenders. Guys like Brodin and Andersson are really going to hold things down back here.

Dahlin is an absolute offensive unit. Every year he continues to get better and better. He has easily solifidied himself as keeper status in fantasy - his 34 assists on the season playing in Buffalo are an attestation to his elite skill. He will be a huge part of the offensive success of Team Sweden in this tournament.

EK65 though is going to be a defensive liability every time he hits the ice. Former Sweden head coach Johan Garpenlov said it was a mistake to select EK65, and he should not be on the team because of his defensive play in recent years.

Under the right circumstances, he can offensively produce, but let's not hide behind the fact that his best years (and let's be honest, those were in Ottawa - despite his resurgence season in San Jose before Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas brought him over) are behind him.

Hedman is a great choice, and will make a great captain. He has a winning pedigree, is a Stanley Cup Champion, and knows what it's like to play a large role on and off the ice on a winning team. He will run the blueline like a general and has the respect amongst his peers to be the leader they need. Let's not forget his already 35 apples this season.

As promised, let's quickly touch on the crease. Ullmark seems to have finally turned things around recently, as the Senators just lost their 10-game winning streak. The start of the year was a bit shaky for him, and there were questions if the Sens had made the right signing or a long-term goaltending solution. Patience has paid off, and he has been as solid as he was with the Bruins. 

It'll be between Ullmark and Gustavsson of who the main tendy will be here. Gus has put on a spectacle all year and helped the Wild reach third in their division against all, or at least most odds. Nobody expected this from him, and seemingly out of nowhere he is a top-five goalie in the league. Sweden may ride the hot glove here.

Ersson is OK. That's all I've got here. It should have been Markstrom, but Ersson is no slouch either. He is on a struggling Flyers team, and still keeping his head above water. He almost has a .900 save percentage and is somehow winning half of his starts, so that's good for him, and the Swedes if they need him.

Prediction

I've got Sweden coming in third. Look, I know. They have a lot of talent at every position, and I think the second- and third-place team will be quite close, but Sweden just doesn't have the top-end talent that Canada or the USA have.

They are an All-Star team, yes, but player for player, the odds are not in their favor. They will be super fun to watch, though.

Some fantasy players to keep your eye on: obviously Pettersson, EK65, and my personal darkhorse from the Wild who I think will have a sneaky solid performance, JEEK. I won't add anything about him, but let's see how my prediction(s) turn out.

If Pettersson doesn't perform well, I am wondering if he doesn't get moved during the offseason. I am serious. There was talk of Vancouver moving both to cleanse the locker room and the fanbase of the toxicity, so it's up to him to make himself an invaluable asset. 

If EK65 ends with a heavy negative +/-, there will be some severe criticism for Team Sweden's selection committee, as well as Penguin's General Manager Dubas.