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Team Sweden unveils Olympic roster impacting two Penguins players
Photo credit: DK Pittsburgh Sports
Team Sweden has unveiled its full roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, and Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell of the Penguins have both made the cut.
Sweden revealed its roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina on Friday, aiming for the country's first gold since 2006 in Turin.
The team closely mirrors Sweden's 4 Nations Face-Off squad, with some changes. At forward, Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche), Pontus Holmberg (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Alexander Wennberg (San Jose Sharks) join the roster.
The Penguins forward that made the roster
Viktor Arvidsson (Boston Bruins) and Gustav Nyquist (Winnipeg Jets) did not make the cut. Rickard Rakell (Pittsburgh Penguins) returns as a key depth forward alongside Linus Raymond and William Karlsson.
On defense, Philip Broberg (St. Louis Blues) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs) join the team. Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers) is off the roster.
The defense group blends skill and shutdown ability, led by Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, and Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), who rebounded from a challenging season to perform well at 4 Nations.
Sweden may have the best goaltending out of all the nations
Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild) earns a spot in goal, providing a strong tandem with Gustavsson and Markstrom, giving Sweden more stability than in the 4 Nations.
Sweden is in Group B and opens against Italy on Feb. 11, faces Finland on Feb. 13, and Slovakia on Feb. 14.
Group winners and the top second-place team advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight teams play single-elimination games to determine the other four quarterfinalists. The gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 22.
This roster balances veteran leadership, skilled playmakers, and role players, giving Sweden one of the deepest teams in Milano-Cortina.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 2 | 156 ANSWERS Team Sweden unveils Olympic roster impacting two Penguins players Will Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell have success at the Olympics? | ||
| Yes | 117 | 75 % |
| No | 39 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||