Victor Hedman is the anchor and arguably the most decorated member of Sweden’s defense. The 34-year-old is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021), including winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in 2020. Hedman was also a finalist for the Norris Trophy in six straight seasons (2016-17 to 2021-22), winning the award in 2017-18.
He’ll pair with Jonas Brodin, who has been a staple on the Minnesota Wild since he made his NHL debut in 2012-13.
“You have players who have won it all and are really top-class players,” Sweden goaltender Filip Gustavsson said. “It’s going to be great to have them in front of me, to be safe back there and know they’re going to make some great plays. It’s just an honor to play behind them there.”
Sweden’s second defense pair will feature Gustav Forsling, who won the Stanley Cup last season with the Florida Panthers, who helped revitalize his career after claiming him off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 9, 2021, and Rasmus Dahlin, who was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Mattias Ekholm, who helped the Edmonton Oilers advance to Stanley Cup Final last season, will be on the third defense pair with Erik Karlsson, who has won the Norris Trophy three times (2011-12, 2014-15 and 2022-23).
“They’ve got a lot of mobility and a lot of big guys who can defend. We see Gustav day in and day out with the attention he’s gotten the last year and a half, two years really,” said Canada forward Sam Reinhart, who is Forsling’s teammate on the Panthers. “It’s ramped up for him. He has so much speed, so many smarts. He’s got, in my mind, one of the best sticks in the League. We’re excited about the opportunity to try and compete against him.
“They’ve got a lot of veteran presence back there, so we’re excited about the challenge.”