SWE 2020 remix Hedman Karlsson Landeskog with bug

The top NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States will go head-to-head at the 4 Nations Face-Off, a best-on-best tournament that will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.

Though this is the first tournament of its kind to feature these four countries, NHL.com and NHL.com International have put together what the rosters and line combinations for each country would have looked like in the past, going backwards in five-year intervals. The rosters will follow the same format as the current 4 Nations teams: 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies.

The stories will run each Friday and Sunday through Feb. 9.

Today, NHL.com/sv senior writer Janne Bengtsson reveals what his Team Sweden roster would've looked like in 2020.

Forwards (13)

Gabriel Landeskog -- Mika Zibanejad -- William Nylander

Elias Pettersson -- Nicklas Backstrom - Filip Forsberg

Rickard Rakell -- Mikael Backlund -- Elias Lindholm

Gustav Nyquist -- William Karlsson -- Jesper Bratt

Patric Hornqvist

Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) comes to play with a surplus of centers deployed elsewhere in the lineup. There's Landeskog with Zibanejad and Nylander on the top line. The three combined for 178 points, including 93 goals, in 2019-20. Zibanejad, a modern-type power forward with an excellent hockey-IQ, emerged as the country's top goal-scorer in the NHL with 41 goals. The leadership qualities of Landeskog, the Colorado Avalanche captain, makes him a natural team captain for Sweden. Pettersson, in his second season with the Vancouver Canucks, joins Backstrom and Forsberg on the second line. Three solid two-way players form the checking line: Rakell, Backlund and Lindholm. A fast-moving group of forwards makes up the fourth line with Hornquist, an extra player and a workhorse with the ability to play almost anywhere.

Defensemen (7)

Erik Karlsson -- Victor Hedman

Rasmus Dahlin -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Mattias Ekholm -- Hampus Lindholm

Oscar KlefbomA solid group with two of the League's best. Karlsson and Hedman are each Norris Trophy winners and a given to form the first defense pair. Dahlin is about to establish himself in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and gets the experienced Ekman-Larsson as his partner. Lindholm and Ekholm complete the lineup with Klefbom as the seventh skater.

Goalies (3):

Jacob Markstrom

Henrik Lundqvist

Linus Ullmark

Taking into consideration how Lundqvist was not at his best in 2019-20, the 37-year-old was 10-12-3 with 3.16 GAA, .905 save percentage and one shutout in 30 games (26 starts) during what would be his final NHL season, it would still be a huge mistake not to include him in the lineup, but behind Markstrom. Lundqvist's experience, readiness to compete, taking every little detail seriously and his ability to lead are an asset to any team. Ullmark is quick to react and a player who without complaining accepts his role as the third man in goal.

Related Content