{"id":388042,"date":"2026-01-03T07:15:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T07:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/388042\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T07:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T07:15:16","slug":"william-nylander-makes-team-sweden-and-one-unexpected-maple-leaf-joins-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/388042\/","title":{"rendered":"William Nylander makes Team Sweden, and one unexpected Maple Leaf joins him"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Feb<\/p>\n

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

William Nylander already was a part of Team Sweden for the Olympics, however he wasn’t the only Toronto Maple Leafs player to find himself on the roster.<\/p>\n

With the Winter Olympics a month or so away, it’s time for rosters to be announced as we get to see which NHLers are back in the international spotlight after being prohibited from playing in the 2022 Olympics.<\/p>\n

Oliver Ekman-Larsson earns nod for Team Sweden amidst stellar season<\/p>\n

Headed by Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Karlsson, and William Nylander, it’s a talented and quite often overlooked group of talent that is no doubt going to make things very interesting this February.<\/p>\n

But in addition to Nylander, it looks like another player donning the Maple Leaf has made Team Sweden: Oliver Ekman-Larsson.<\/p>\n

In a much-deserved nod, Ekman-Larsson makes the Swedish Olympic team after a very strong start to his 2025-26 season. Not only has he provided solid defense, but he’s got 25 points in 40 games including seven goals; it’s vintage OEL.<\/p>\n

Maple Leafs impact felt throughout the Swedish lineup<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, there’s another very familiar face added to Sweden as former Maple Leafs forward Pontus Holmberg; who now plays in Tampa Bay, has made the roster as well.<\/p>\n

It’s not guaranteed that Ekman-Larsson will appear in every game, as Sweden’s defense is actually stacked when you look at it. Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Philip Broberg, Victor Hedman, Jonas Brodin, and potential future Maple Leaf Rasmus Andersson.<\/p>\n

That’s as deep as you can get when it comes to your back end and it’s not surprising to see some Maple Leafs love either directly or indirectly.<\/p>\n

We will get our first taste of seeing Ekman-Larsson potentially in action as Sweden kicks off their journey for gold against host country Italy on Feb. 11.<\/p>\n

Previously on Hockey Patrol<\/p>\n

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