By: Ethan Lindley

It is surely an exciting time of year in the hockey prospect industry. The U18 World Championship is the last tournament of the season for scouts and analysts to evaluate the best draft eligible players against their peers. Although the scheduling conflicts with the CHL playoffs (leaving some high-end talent at home) the tournament is still a great platform for many future stars to display their skills and potentially raise their draft stock who are out of the playoffs or not in NA. The tournament features Canada, Latvia, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Norway, Czechia, Slovakia, and Sweden. Other than Canada, the Sweden roster looks the most promising. They not only have the depth in every position, but they also have the game changers necessary to qualify for a medal.

The starting goaltender is pretty clear-cut as Love Harenstam is one of the top-rated goaltenders for the 2025 draft. He plays for Skelleftea in the J20 Nationell posting a .895 save percentage in 19 games played for the team. He also has a strong history as Sweden’s starter in international junior events this season, posting a .909 save percentage in 12 games played. He stands 6-2 and is quite athletic, using quick lateral movements to make dangerous scoring chances look easy. Harenstam is also very strong at covering the bottom of the net and—despite his size—he’s able to move fluidly between his butterfly and upright positions. If his bulky frame wasn’t enough, he challenges shooters by cutting down the angle and giving them very few openings to target. Harenstram will be accompanied by the towering Mans Goos. A 6-5 lefty boasting a .893 save percentage through 24 games in the J20, Goos also has an impressive .934 save percentage and 1.82 GAA in seven international U18 games. Together, these two make a quality tandem in net that should be able to manage even the toughest assignments in this tournament.

Although Sweden’s defense lacks an elite offensive threat, from top to bottom every member of the defense can skate and defend well. Karl Annborn is particularly good around the net, either cleaning up loose pucks or moving opponents out of the blue paint. The smallest defender on the team, Oliwer Sjostrom is shifty, manages the puck well and moves it quickly. He is not the strongest defensively, but he can find seams in the offensive zone and execute if he’s given enough space. Axel Brongel-Larsson is a 2026 draft eligible who displays poise with the puck and makes smart plays, but the crown jewel on the back-end for Sweden is Sascha Boumedienne. Boumedienne does everything really well. He is extremely poised with the puck, and although not incredibly dynamic, he can make strong, accurate passes that find teammates in dangerous scoring positions. He also defends well on the rush, using quick feet to angle opponents towards the boards, and demonstrates strength in front of the net as well as a nasty edge at times. Boumedienne will be the defenseman leading this strong Swedish team in all situations. 

It is at forward where this team shines the most. Sweden has a top line that has already achieved a lot of success internationally in Klingsell, Nilson, and Stenberg. They function like a well-oiled machine. Viktor Klingsell is the silky pass-first playmaker who has a knack for finding his teammates in advantageous positions. He’s also extremely fast and exposes defenses, especially off the rush. Eric Nilson is the highly intelligent center who knows where to find soft ice in the offensive zone. He also plays a more direct game, displaying intensity both on and off the puck. Ivar Stenberg, the highly touted 2026 draft eligible, ties the line together with his dynamic skill, making plays that very few can. He holds onto pucks, evading pressure and making defenders miss with quick pivots and head fakes. He is a dual threat as well, so he when forces defenders to respect his shot, it opens up passing lanes for him to exploit.

The youth movement will be important for this Swedish team, evidenced by Viggo Bjorck, another highly touted 2026 eligible and the only 2008 born player on the team. He’s slight in stature, but that doesn’t keep him from attempting to drive to the inside. Bjorck has soft hands and uses them to feather dynamic passes to his linemates, almost always resulting in dangerous scoring opportunities. When surrounded by high end goal scorers, it only makes Bjorck even more deadly, which is why it’s not surprising that he was paired with Anton Frondell at the U18 Five Nations tournament a couple months ago. While not currently on the roster, top 2025 talent Frondell may yet join the team when his season concludes in HockeyAllsvenskan. Frondell has been on a torrid scoring pace in the HockeyAllsvenskan, so there is good reason to believe he would continue that domination into this tournament . He will be a man amongst boys, not only with his size and physicality but also with his cerebral methods of attack. He should be able to bully his way to the net, wreaking havoc on smaller, weak defenses. His one-timer will be active and he will be able to create a ton of room for his teammates by holding onto pucks and protecting them with his strong frame.

Sweden’s 2025 eligible forwards will also have a lot to offer. Milton Gastrin is shifty and fast but uses his strength and intelligence to drive the middle lane and find soft ice to release his lethal shot. Arvid Drott and Jakob Ihs-Wozniak are physical goal scoring wingers who drive the net and often are responsible for finishing plays rather than linking them together. Wozniak has a bit more handling skill, but Drott plays with more pace. Theo Stockselius is another heavy forward who uses his soft touch to keep plays alive in transition as well as finish them around the net. Melvin Novotny is a depth off-puck shooter who regularly finds gaps in coverage to use his quick release. Filip Ekberg and how he fits into this lineup may be Sweden’s biggest question of the tournament. It took him awhile to get going in North America, but he’s had some strong performances down the stretch for the Ottawa 67’s. He’s a player who sees the ice really well and isn’t afraid to take contact to make plays with the puck, despite lacking a little in the size department.

With the number of weapons this Swedish team has, they should be able to score at will against their opponents in this tournament. Even though their defense leaves a little to be desired (at least offensively) and their goaltending is not amazing, they should have no issue in dispatching most of the teams in this tournament. The true test will be if they can defend against the more talented teams like Czechia, Canada, and USA. If they can, there could very well be another gold medal in Sweden’s future.

Make sure to keep up with Ethan by following him on X/Twitter @gtcj10.