Tip: Sweden makes its entrance in the Ice Hockey World Championships!

It's time for the championship to kick off. First up is a really exciting match between Finland and the USA, which will be thrilling to witness. Then it's time for Sweden, my home country, to take on Germany in what I believe will be a relatively calm affair.

A new Sweden?

Sam Hallam is one of Sweden's greatest coaching talents and built the SHL team Växjö Lakers into a dominant force in Swedish hockey, achieving tremendous success. It is often said that defense is the first aspect a new coach wants to establish, and with a defensively oriented coach like Sam Hallam, it is likely no exception. I have high hopes that Hallam will be able to lead the Swedish national team to new successes, something that has been lacking in recent years.

Taking a closer look at the Swedish squad for the championship, it's not like there's an abundance of NHL stardom, but there are a couple of stars present. Notably, Lucas Raymond will undoubtedly be a lively addition to the offense. On the defensive side, we also have Rasmus Sandin, who is coming off a breakout season with the Washington Capitals and was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fabian Zetterlund and Jonathan Berggren, along with Leo Carlsson, will also bring a lot of youthful energy to an otherwise experienced team. In goal, there is no shortage of experience and talent, with Lars Johansson often delivering impressive performances, although I hope to see more of Jesper Wallstedt, who has been highly talked about on social media among Minnesota Wild fans.

Sweden's squad

Goalkeepers
Jesper Wallstedt, Iowa Wild
Lars Johansson, Frölunda HC
Jacob Johansson, Timrå IK

Defensemen
Christian Folin, Frölunda HC
Henrik Tömmernes, Geneve-Servette
Patrik Nemeth, Arizona Coyotes
Lukas Bengtsson, Växjö Lakers
Rasmus Sandin, Washington Capitals
Anton Lindholm, Leksands IF
Jonathan Pudas, Skellefteå AIK
Joel Persson, Växjö Lakers

Forwards
Pär Lindholm, Skellefteå AIK
Dennis Everberg, Rögle BK
Marcus Sörensen, Fribourg-Gottéron
André Petersson, HV71
Leo Carlsson, Örebro HK
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
Oscar Lindberg, SC Bern
Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
Jonatan Berggren, Detroit Red Wings
Fabian Zetterlund, San José Sharks
Linus Johansson, Färjestads BK
Carl Grundström, Los Angeles Kings
Jacob de la Rose, Fribourg-Gottéron
Alexander Nylander, Pittsburgh Penguins

A benchmark

Germany, who stands on the other side of the ice, has an exciting national team. They continue to produce interesting young players, and German hockey seems to have a bright future ahead. In addition to Moritz Seider, who has established himself as a quality NHL defenseman, the Germans also have JJ Peterka, who played 77 games in a Buffalo Sabres jersey this season at only 21 years old. They have Maksymilian Szuber, who is predicted to have a bright future, and a group of players in younger ages who have made their mark in the German top league. There is also plenty of experience in players like Marcel Noebels, Nico Sturm, and Dominik Kahun.

Behind Sweden and Finland, Germany should definitely be able to challenge a thin American team, so Germany should be seen as an excellent benchmark ahead of Monday's big match against Finland.

Conclusion and prediction

Sweden's squad doesn't exude goal-scoring prowess, but there are plenty of established top players across Europe and decent NHL players in the roster. We have reliable goaltenders to rely on, and with Sam Hallam behind the bench, I expect to see a well-structured national team that supports the goaltenders in the net. On the other side, we have Germany, who are always well-coached and bring high-quality players to the championship. The DEL, which is Germany's top league, maintains a high European standard, but likely a too difficult task for Germany.

I anticipate that Sweden will get the job done but don't expect to see a high-paced game. There might be some excitement when the young players hit the ice, but Hallam will balance the team in his usual manner. We are also fortunate to have great goaltenders in the tournament's context, so I have a feeling that we'll witness a low-scoring match in the opener. Therefore, my bet is that the game ends with under 5.5 goals, which I will place at -120 at Unibet!