Eklund, Holtz lead Sweden at 2022 World Juniors

Alexander Holtz and William Eklund will lead Sweden’s entry at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Sweden will be hungry to medal at this year’s World Juniors after losing in the quarterfinals to Finland in 2021. 

Although they only have seven returning players on this year’s 2022 roster, Sweden will bring a lot of experience and skill to Edmonton in December with a lineup that boasts seven first round NHL Draft selections, including Holtz and Raymond.

Both players are first round NHL Draft selections; Holtz was picked with the No. 7 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils, and Eklund was picked with the No. 7 selection in the 2021 draft by the San Jose Sharks.

“With both Eklund and Holtz ready in the lineup, not only Sweden but the whole tournament will be more attractive to pay attention to,” Swedish-based FCHockey scout Fredrik Haak said. “These two players have phenomenal offensive skill and whoever you put on their line, it will be a formation that will cut through every defense.”

Holtz has been playing some great hockey with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League since the start of the season, and has been registering at almost a point-per-game pace with 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 11 games played. He was rewarded with a call up to the New Jersey Devils in early November, registering two assists in six games.

Eklund stepped right into the NHL as an 18-year-old and spent the beginning of the season playing full time with the Sharks. He collected four assists in nine games before San Jose opted to send him back to the Swedish Hockey League to further develop.

Although the defensive core of team Sweden will be very formidable with players such as Simon Edvinsson, selected in the first round (No. 6) in the 2021 draft to the Detroit Red Wings, and Emil Andrae, a second round selection (No. 54) in 2020 of the Philadelphia Flyers, a lot of their success in keeping the puck out of the net will be thrust upon goalie sensation Jesper Wallstedt or Calle Clang. 

Wallstedt was selected in the first round (No. 20) in the 2021 draft by the Minnesota Wild and has been playing in the SHL this past season for Lulea HF, posting a 9-8-0 record with two shutouts. He currently sits second in the league for goals-against average with a 1.82 mark, as well as an impressive .923 save percentage, good enough for fourth in the SHL.

Here’s a rundown of Sweden’s roster for the World Juniors: