While Sweden usually goes into the World Junior Hockey Championship as one of the medal favourites, this year will be an exception. The squad that coach Tomas Montén has assembled looks weaker than in previous years. The addition of Isac Lundeström from the Anaheim Ducks will negate some of this, but it is still a weaker Team Sweden than what the hockey world is used to.
However, the last time experts looked at a Swedish squad like this was in 2012, and we all know what happened then. Coach Montén is aware of the situation, and when he speaks in an exclusive for Eyes on the Prize, he says straight out, “We don’t have the first line forwards as we used to have, and I think that makes for a little bit different team.