"The Toronto Maple Leafs will have two representatives on Team Sweden for the upcoming 2026 Olympic tourney. William Nylander was a slam-dunk no-brainer. He'll wear a letter and play on the team's top line. But the other Maple Leafs' rep, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, was a bit of a surprise. The entire Swedish blueline is chock full of gifted, offensively-driven players. Ekman-Larsson is not the exception."
"They saw in Ekman-Larsson another grizzled veteran, who could deliver solid, consistent play. Sure, Sweden's blueline is mind-shocking. Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, and Rasmus Andersson are all elite-level players. Follow that up with Philip Broberg and Jonas Brodin, and all of a sudden, Sweden looks stacked on the back end. Talent notwithstanding, there's something the Swedish blueline lacks: Punch. That's an intangible that Ekman-Larsson has plenty of. He's a tough customer who's not afraid of roughhousing."
Toronto will send William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Team Sweden for the 2026 Olympics. Nylander will wear a letter and play on Sweden's top line. Ekman-Larsson's selection surprised some because he had been viewed as past his prime, but he has rebounded at age 34, pacing toward double-digit goals and about 40 points. The Swedish blueline features elite offensive defensemen—Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Andersson, Philip Broberg and Jonas Brodin—yet lacks physical punch. Ekman-Larsson adds toughness and veteran steadiness as likely a depth, possibly eighth, defenseman on a stacked roster.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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