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Modig had a mediocre start with Luleå in the SEL, but improved during the course of the season. During the playoffs he played more than Luleå's regular starter David Rautio. With team Sweden Modig has been solid all year long posting an impressive .921 save percentage and being the only goaltender selected for all tournaments. His best performance this season was likely in the U18 Junior World Cup where Sweden finished in third place. He is a rather unspectacular goaltender that usually is very calm. Realistically he is the only Swedish goaltender born 1987 that has a chance to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

Enroth has progressed quite a bit this season. Last season, even though it was close, Stefan Ridderwall was considered the top Swedish goaltender born 1988. Ridderwall has not performed poorly in any way this season, but Enroth has been slightly more impressive with confident play in the juniors and also with the Swedish U19 team in an international tournament in February. Enroth was also given the opportunity to play his first senior games this season with Huddinge. It was probably something that inspired the Huddinge goaltender who was excellent in the following junior league playoffs and almost helped his team Huddinge get past the defending champions MODO.

Andersén is the youngest player on the team with a very well deserved roster spot after an excellent season with Leksand. It is not really that surprising that Andersén performed this well in juniors. Last season he played senior hockey with Grums in the third tier league and already then, at times, he was dominant. With his current size he is quite comparable to Swedish NHL-defenseman legend Ulf Samuelsson. In fact, Andersén resembles Samuelsson quite a bit as a player. The physical play, the fighting spirit and the will to win is obvious when Andersén steps on the ice. He will most likely make his senior debut with Leksand next season and is arguably the most interesting Swedish player born 1988.

Djurgården defenseman From-Björk will play on the top defensive unit together with Niklas Hjalmarsson. The duo have played so convincingly and received so much praise that the Swedish U19/U20 coach, Torngy Bendelin, tested them with the one year older national team in February. From-Björk is among the biggest and strongest players on this team and is a very solid defensive defenseman. He does not hesitate to play physical and overall makes very mature decisions on the ice. Even though his numbers might not be a good indication of it, From-Björk has some offensive qualities and joins the rush from time to time.

Hellström has received a surprising amount of ice time with Björklöven in the second tier league this season and performed well. He is the biggest player on the team and a defensively reliable defenseman that usually chooses an easy pass over a difficult one. His skating might look a bit suspect at times, but he is mobile. Since the other top prospect named Alexander from Björklöven, Alexander Sundström, somewhat surprisingly was not selected to represent Sweden, Hellström will be the only one from the Umeå based club on this Swedish roster.

The most talented Swedish defenseman born 1987. Hjalmarsson has had a very good season which has included a SEL debut, convincing play in the juniors and strong performances with Team Sweden internationally. He is an offensive defenseman and his style of play resembles Blues defenseman Christian Bäckman, in that regard that he has very good ability to dump/shoot/drop the puck on net. Hjalmarsson likes to take the shot and has very good hockey sense. Defensively Hjalmarsson, who was chosen junior of the year in HV 71, stands out with his physical game. Playing the body is something Hjalmarsson enjoys quite a bit. Like many offensive defenseman he sometimes tends to join the rush a bit too much, which is why teammate Christoffer From-Björk is such a good complement.

Linus Morin is really the only defenseman on the team who does not play very physical, but instead relies on his way of reading the game and solves difficult situations that way. Morin has soft hands and is a good passer. He is however, undersized and does not play with enough determination at times. Morin's club, Brynäs, is currently playing in the promotion/relegation rounds to the Swedish Elite League. If the team remains in the SEL, Morin is not likely to see much ice time with the seniors next season. However, should Brynäs be demoted the chances of Morin playing senior hockey are much greater.

Ribbenstrand is arguably the second best defenseman on the team. He is a solid two-way defenseman who likes to join the rush and has good hockey sense and playmaking ability. In his own end he reads the play well and is also willing to play the body. However, at times he can be a bit hesitant with the puck and seek offensive passes too often, which result in the team losing the puck. It is quite realistic that we will see Ribbenstrand make his SEL debut with Djurgården next season.

After being left off the team previously this season, Öhman is now back with Team Sweden after a fine season in the juniors. Öhman's strong skating skills are important to the style of hockey that he plays. He has also good hockey sense and physical attributes. In his own end he solves situations calmly, but can also deliver a good hit to turn the play. Öhman contributes offensively as well and has the hardest slap shot on the team. MODO has several talented 1986-born defenseman on their junior team that next season will most likely play senior hockey, which means that Öhman will be a key player in juniors.

In the shadow of teammate Nicklas Bergfors, Johan Andersson has had a fine season in Södertälje and is without any doubt the biggest "entertainer" on the team. He reminds a bit of Michael Nylander in his twist and turns with the puck, his skating technique and technical skills. However, Andersson probably needs to bulk up a bit in order to showcase the same kind of skills internationally. He will likely receive a good amount of ice time on the power play, where he is very strong on the puck.

Bergfors is a very complete player who is expected to be the leader offensively. Had it not been for the lockout, Bergfors, who already competed in the U18 WJC last year with the 86's, would had seen much more ice time in the SEL. He is an excellent skater with fine technical skills, great on-ice vision and he is both a gifted scorer and a playmaker. Bergfors is not a giant, and in fact he looks a bit smaller than 6’0, but he is very well-trained and strong physically. Together with Slovenian young star Anze Kopitar, Bergfors is expected to take yet another step forward in his development next season and become a fully established SEL player.

Bäckström, who already this season got to play senior hockey with Brynäs in the SEL, is a center with great hockey sense, excellent hands and impressive playmaking ability. He is pretty all-round as a player and does also demonstrate a decent scoring ability, balance and the ability to take hits. Taking hits from opposing defensemen is nothing new to Bäckström, who has proven to be very strong physiologically and physically, and not being bothered one bit while being handled in a rough matter. He will most likely play senior hockey next season. If it will be in the SEL or in the second tier league is yet undetermined.

An important player on this team, Dahlberg is among the toughest forwards to come out of Sweden for quite some time. Whenever there is a chance to give out a good hit, Dahlberg is there with the bodycheck. He has a very hot temper on the ice and his PIMs indicate that he sometimes tends to take foolish penalties. Dahlberg's skating skills and technical skills do not stand out, but his hard work, his strength and physique make him valuable in many situations. He is also tough to stop when he reaches full speed and is a somewhat underrated goal scorer. If someone challenges him, he will drop the gloves and stand up for his team, which is important for this slightly undersized team.

Hörnqvist is a very good skater and a team player who always does a good job. He has had a very good season in the Swedish third tier league with Väsby and together with Örebro's forward Markus Andersson, who also scored 24 points but did not make the team, Hörnqvist has been the most productive player born 1987 in the league. Under the assistance of coach Challe Berglund Hörnqvist has despite of his young age progressed and become one of the MVPs on the team. He can be used in most game situations.

A pretty complete forward with good technical skill, hockey sense and passing skills, Johansson is still most noticeable for his defensive play with team Sweden. He is very valuable in short-handed situations and will certainly kill penalties for Sweden in the tournament. Johansson has this season been playing for Skåre in the third tier league, as well as with Färjestad's U18 team in the juniors. Next season he could be heading to Färjestad's second tier league affiliate Bofors.

Robin Lindqvist is the traditional Swedish two-way center and compares favorably to former NHLers Jörgen Jönsson and Mathias Johansson. He always knows what is happening on the ice and helps the defensemen in a terrific way in the defensive zone. At the same time he can also contribute offensively being a good stickhandler and a playmaker. Lindqvist is smart, strong and mature in his play and quite underrated.

Just like Robin Lindqvist, Andreas Molinder is a solid two-way center. He is a good skater with strong defensive skills, but has also an offensive awareness and respectable technical skills. He can be used in most situations and is an important player behind the more well-known players.

Nilsson was for a long time considered to be among the very best Swedish 87's. This year, his progress has not been what expected when analyzing his junior league stats. Despite not being very productive, he has become more complete as a player. He somewhat regained his scoring confidence at the end of the season in the playoffs, where he led his team in scoring. Internationally he has been very good though, and a treat to watch with his speed and explosiveness which he combines with strong technical skills. On the downside Nilsson is of smallish stature and could have some problems against bigger opposition.

Pettersson is the top scorer on the Swedish U18 team this season with 4 goals and 3 assists in 9 games. The short forward is among the top skaters on the team and is overall a quite complete player. To go with his fine skating technique, Pettersson is a magician with the puck, a leader, sniper, playmaker and a winner. He plays with plenty of intensity, enjoys playing physical and has a hard slap shot that he is able to release in full flight. Pettersson's 17 points in 24 games in the junior league might not seem very impressive. In the just finished playoffs, Pettersson was, however, fantastic and led his team with 8 points in 6 games to the Championship title.

A forward with good physique, toughness, soft hands and good hockey sense. Ritola received some attention when he during the season decided to leave Frölunda's successful youth academy to play for Leksand. With an incredibly deep roster, all four lines received pretty much the same amount of ice time in Frölunda, and after switching teams Ritola's ice time increased considerably. He is a skilled and creative player in the offensive zone, but somewhat ineffective when given the opportunity to score. His defensive skills are good and he is a valuable penalty killer. Sometimes, however, he tends to play a bit uninspired.

A right-shooting forward that is quite comparable to his teammates Fredrik Pettersson and Johan Nilsson, Sunna has good speed with the puck and is a fine stickhandler. Sunna is not a giant, but difficult to control for the opposition and has a decent sniper instinct. This last year he has developed his game quite a bit and is now also reliable defensively. Sunna has displayed fine chemistry with center Niklas Bäckström.

A good two-way player with strong puck control, impressive vision and hockey sense, Zackrisson is a perfect fit on the Swedish line that also includes Fredrik Pettersson and Mattias Ritola. He delivers the puck quickly to those two who are expected to score goals. Zackrisson is also reliable defensively and backchecks with strong confidence. On the downside Zackrisson is not very thickly built. With team Sweden this season, he has not been as good as last year. Perhaps things will fall in place now.