Throughout the 2021-22 NHL season, a author at The Hockey Writers tackled a posh record of who’re the most effective Sweden-born gamers within the league. Traditionally, the nation ranks among the many finest in worldwide hockey, with a few Olympic gold medals and a boatload of World Championships.
Presently, eight Swedish gamers are within the Hockey Corridor of Fame, with Henrik Lundqvist becoming a member of the group in November 2023. In the meantime, Niklas Bäckström and Gabriel Landeskog have the ability set to earn recognition; nevertheless, their enshrinement will ultimately come right down to the voting committee, regardless of the {hardware} of their trophy circumstances.
Associated: Swedish Gamers within the Hockey Corridor of Fame
Though these two are thought-about among the many finest Swedish gamers of their era, latest seasons haven’t been variety to them. Since 2020, Backstrom has performed solely 149 video games, and his profession could also be over, whereas Landeskog has but to skate since successful the Stanley Cup within the spring of 2022. Furthermore, the pair usually are not presently ranked among the many nation’s finest gamers as a result of a brand new wave of expertise has taken over the scoring charts.
As an alternative of itemizing Sweden’s most distinguished gamers, we tackled the nation’s finest gamers primarily based on their 2023-24 and early 2024-25 numbers. Realistically, a handful of tenured gamers with strong resumes ought to be on the record; nevertheless, they have been excluded for statistical functions.
10. Gustav Nyquist – Nashville Predators
Gustav Nyquist scored 20 targets on three events as a member of the Detroit Purple Wings, who drafted him because the 121st total within the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Nonetheless, he solely scored over 50 factors as soon as within the Motor Metropolis, departing to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019 to resurrect his profession. Regardless of a decent 53 factors in 2021-22, he struggled with accidents, skating in simply 53 video games in 2022-23.
In July 2023, the Nashville Predators took an opportunity on Nyquist. After battling varied accidents, he’s lastly wholesome and located a crew to excel with. Whereas enjoying with fellow countryman Filip Forsberg, he set a career-high in assists and factors with 52 and 75 respectively. At 35, Nyquist has one season left on his present deal and has grow to be a wonderful depth participant for the Predators, who’ve Stanley Cup aspirations.
9. Linus Ullmark – Ottawa Senators
The Boston Bruins had probably the most exceptional statistical common season of all time in 2022-23, thanks partly to their goaltenders, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. After compiling a 40-6-1 document in 49 video games, the native of Lugnvik, Sweden, grew to become the nation’s third Vezina Trophy winner behind Pelle Lindbergh and Lundqvist.
Ullmark debuted with the Sabres in 2015-16 earlier than signing an enormous contract in June 2021 to hitch the Bruins, a transfer many questioned as a result of Tuukka Rask and Swayman have been the primary guys in Boston. Nonetheless, after departing upstate New York with a 50-47-13 document, he compiled an 88-26-10 document with the Bruins, highlighting his skills to be a number-one goalie and function the spine of a Stanley Cup contender.
Moreover capturing the William M. Jennings Trophy and receiving votes for the Hart and Woman Byng Trophies in 2022-23, Ullmark saved the Bruins on the high of the NHL standings in 2023-24 and received 20 video games for the third straight season. Regardless of a lower in save proportion (SV%) and a rise in goals-against common (GAA), he remained an elite goalie who’s in search of a strong playoff run to solidify his spot among the many finest.
Ullmark will now attempt to do it in Ottawa as he was traded to the Senators within the offseason. He has a 1-1-0 document to this point this season with a 2.58 GAA and .914 SV% and seems to be the most effective goaltender the Sens have had of their historical past.
8. Lucas Raymond – Detroit Purple Wings
After the season he had in 2023-24, Lucas Raymond debuts on this record. He completed his third marketing campaign within the Motor Metropolis with a career-high 31 targets and 72 factors and is now one of many Detroit Purple Wings’ most essential gamers. Chosen fourth total within the 2020 Draft, he burst onto the scene in his rookie season in 2021-22 at 19 years outdated and completed fourth in Calder Trophy voting. He had a little bit of a sophomore droop in 2022-23 with solely 17 targets and 45 factors in 74 video games, however in fact, rebounded properly together with his first 30-goal season and a 27-point bounce in manufacturing.
Identified for his velocity, playmaking, and now, goalscoring, Raymond is a continuing menace on the ice and can probably hit 100 factors sooner or later in his profession. He’s an thrilling participant to observe and can solely get higher as he builds power and continues to regulate to the North American recreation. He’s a celebrity within the making and ought to be within the realm of different nice Swedes which have performed for the Purple Wings very quickly – if he isn’t already, that’s.
7. Mika Zibanejad – New York Rangers
By the 2024-25 season, there have been over 413 Swedish gamers within the NHL; nevertheless, Mika Zibanejad is in a category all by himself. After an evening to recollect in 2020, he grew to become the nation’s first participant with a Golden Objective in a global competitors (2012 World Junior Championship) and a five-goal recreation within the NHL.
The sixth-overall choose within the 2011 Entry Draft broke into the league with the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12 earlier than changing into an everyday two seasons later. Finally, Zibanejad grew to become a prolific aim scorer, averaging 20 or extra in eight seasons and reaching a career-high 41 within the shortened 2019-20 marketing campaign. Though his manufacturing dipped the next season, he scored 29 targets in 2021-22 and 39 in 2022-23 earlier than reaching the 20-goal plateau for the ninth time in 2023-24.
Associated: Revisiting Sweden’s World Junior Championship Historical past
Because the New York Rangers’ high middle, Zibanejad discovered chemistry with Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider as they regularly set one another up for targets. As ordinary, his totals ranked among the many high Swedish gamers within the NHL, a spot he continues to occupy yearly. Though his finest season could also be previously, he stays a deadly aim scorer, requiring extra consideration when on the ice.
6. Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
Victor Hedman is certain for the Corridor of Fame when he retires. At 33, he’s received two Stanley Cup titles, a Norris Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. As considered one of his era’s high defensemen, there have been some questions on whether or not he misplaced a step or not in 2022-23, dropping to only 49 factors in 76 video games after netting a career-high 85 within the season prior.
Final season, Hedman laid to relaxation any claims that he may have misplaced a step, reaching double digits in targets for the ninth time in his profession and accumulating over 70 factors for the third time. Nonetheless, he additionally took extra penalties, racking up greater than 70 minutes, totals unseen since his first campaigns within the league again in 2009 to 2012. He additionally reached double digits in plus/minus for the eighth time over the previous 10 seasons.
5. Adrian Kempe – Los Angeles Kings
Adrian Kempe is without doubt one of the few Swedish-born gamers who has discovered modest success within the NHL after being drafted within the first spherical (twenty ninth total) within the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Throughout his first season, he scored simply two targets in 25 video games earlier than changing into an everyday within the Los Angeles Kings’ lineup in 2017-18, the place he scored 16 occasions.
Slowly, Kempe has established himself as an elite aim scorer, netting 35 in 2021-22 earlier than setting a career-high with 41 in 2022-23. Contemplating he performs half of his video games on the West Coast, most followers who stay within the Jap time zones don’t get to see him in motion, simply catching the highlights.
Regardless of the Kings not enjoying as much as their contender standing in 2023-24, Kempe had over 20 targets for the third straight season and just lately surpassed 150 in his profession. He didn’t hit 40 targets once more, however completed with a career-high 75 factors.
4. Jesper Bratt – New Jersey Devils
Jesper Bratt is a sixth-round choose (162nd total) from the 2016 Entry Draft. Normally, prospects chosen so late take some time to become NHL regulars in the event that they ever make all of it. Not often do groups discover hidden gems that grow to be stars and ultimately lead their crew in scoring. To date, after seven seasons, Bratt continues to defy these odds.
The native of Stockholm, Sweden, routinely scored 30-35 factors over his 4 seasons earlier than a breakout marketing campaign in 2021-22, with a career-high 73 factors. As a result of he was a pending restricted free agent, the New Jersey Devils provided him a one-year deal, which led to him netting 32 targets and 73 factors for the second consecutive season. Bratt inked an eight-year extension as one of many lineup’s core gamers.
Though New Jersey took a step again in 2023-24 and missed the postseason after advancing to the second spherical in 2022-23, Bratt led the crew in scoring once more with 83 factors. He battled generational expertise Jack Hughes all season for the highest spot however received the Devils’ scoring title for the second time in three seasons. He’s off to a great begin with seven factors in eight video games as his crew appears to be like to rebound and make it again to the playoffs this season.
Elias Pettersson is a fifth-overall choice (2017 Entry Draft) who made his NHL debut at 20, accumulating 66 factors in 71 video games to win the Calder Trophy. On the time, it appeared like solely the start, and extra essential issues have been on the horizon.
Sadly, Pettersson struggled to achieve his potential as a result of dimension, 6-foot-2, and 178 kilos, plateauing round 66 factors when he was wholesome sufficient to play a whole season. Nonetheless, issues circled in 2021-22 when the gifted middle scored 32 targets and 68 factors to set profession highs in every class. Though the Vancouver Canucks struggled for a lot of the 2022-23 season, Pettersson lastly collected his first 100-point marketing campaign.
Associated: Swedish-Born NHL Gamers with 100-Level Seasons
After a profession 12 months, Pettersson didn’t attain the century mark in factors in 2023-24 however completed with a decent 89 factors. Furthermore, he surpassed 30 targets for the third straight season and has repeatedly ranked among the many high 15 scorers within the NHL. As a pending unrestricted free agent, the Canucks locked up considered one of their franchise stars with a $92.8 million extension in March.
Now getting paid $11.6 million common annual worth (AAV), Pettersson has already obtained criticism for his lack of manufacturing early within the season. Whereas a few of that’s justified contemplating he solely has 27 factors (common season and playoffs) because the starting of February, he nonetheless stays some of the gifted Swedes within the NHL. He’ll ultimately flip it round – at the least Canucks followers hope he does.
2. Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators
Since changing into an everyday participant for the Nashville Predators in 2014-15, Filip Forsberg had by no means missed the playoffs till the 2022-23 season, when the crew got here simply three factors shy of advancing to their ninth straight postseason. In 2022-23, Forsberg completed fourth in crew scoring with 42 factors, his lowest complete in an 82-game season.
Final season, Forsberg powered the Predators again into competition, reaching the 40-goal plateau for the second time in his profession and completed the marketing campaign by surpassing his career-high of 84 factors. In actual fact, he grew to become the primary ahead in crew historical past to gather 90 factors, ending with 94. This season, regardless of his crew beginning a dismal 0-5, he’s a point-per-game participant with two targets and 5 factors in 5 video games.
1. William Nylander – Toronto Maple Leafs
For the reason that begin of the 2023-24 season, when William Nylander set a franchise document with factors in his first 17 video games, it could possibly be argued that he’s the most effective Swedish participant within the NHL as we speak. Regardless of enjoying within the shadow of Auston Matthews and his 69 targets, Nylander was the Toronto Maple Leafs’ main scorer for a lot of the season.
Skating within the ultimate 12 months of his contract, many puzzled if Nylander, whose profession excessive was beforehand 87 factors, would have the ability to money in a deal value $9 to $10 million he was in search of in the summertime of 2024. So, beneath stress to silence the doubters, he made a run for his first 100-point marketing campaign, ending two factors shy of the mark with 98.
After a wonderful begin to the marketing campaign, the Maple Leafs prolonged Nylander for eight years at $11.5 million yearly. Since inking his deal, he’s tied a career-high in targets (40) and picked up 48 factors in 50 video games.
Honorable Mentions
After rating this 12 months’s high ten Swedish gamers, the record didn’t embrace a handful of skaters who deserve recognition for his or her most up-to-date efforts. Listed here are the names of those that didn’t make the record, together with Jakob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils), Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers), Joel Eriksson-Ek (Minnesota Wild), William Karlsson (Vegas Golden Knights), Fabian Zetterlund (San Jose Sharks), Nils Hoglander (Vancouver Canucks), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers).
Associated: Swedish-Born Captains in NHL Historical past
To this point in 2024-25, 66 Swedish gamers (seven goalies) have skated within the NHL, which is a lower from 99 from final season. Regardless of the profession years from a number of gamers in 2023-24, many names on the record proceed to do what they do finest, rating targets, acquire factors, and make saves, whereas representing Sweden to hockey followers throughout the globe.