Team Sweden's first six doesn't include Mika Zibanejad and it makes complete sense

On Monday, the 12 countries participating in men's ice hockey at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina named their first six players to their preliminary rosters.

Team Sweden was no exception, naming their first six as well. This is also the first time NHL players will participate in the Olympics since 2014. Not one of these players were from the New York Rangers, with Sweden native Mika Zibanejad excluded after he was previously one of the first named for the team's roster in this year's 4 Nations Face-Off. While some view this as a surprise, I don't.

In this year's best-on-best tournament Zibanejad did not qualify for the final. With him on their roster, Sweden only saw one win in 4 Nations' play, which was a one-goal win over Team USA. However the win was meaningless at the time as Team USA had already qualified for the championship and the Swedish would be going home no matter the result.

Unfortunately, Zibanejad was not able to participate in Team Sweden's final game against Team USA due to the flu. Although him being a scratch still resulted in a 2-1 win for Sweden.

However — Prior to getting sick Zibanejad scored the first goal of the game against Finland on Feb. 15th, so he wasn't rendered completely useless for the Swedes.

Here's a quick look at the six players that did make the Sweden roster for the upcoming Olympics.

1. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Captain of the Buffalo Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin is a young defenseman who is a former No. 1 overall pick. He has 360 points (83 goals, 277 assists) in 509 games and is a native of idkoping. Dahlin has a former international play resume that consists of one assist in two games at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and he competed at the IIHF World Championship in 2022 and 2024.

2. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Victor Hedman is a defenseman who brings a bit of age and experience (34-years-old) to the roster after being a No. 2 overall pick back in 2009. He is a six-time finalist for the Norris Trophy, which he also won in 2018. As for his international resume, he scored one goal in four games for Sweden in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and has represented them at the World Championship four times. Additionally — Hedman is a three-time All-Star (2017, 2020, 2022) and had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2020, helping the Lightning win the first of back-to-back championships.

3. Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings

Adrian Kempe is more of an underestimated threat for Sweden. His track record isn't as lengthy as Dahlin or Hedman, but he does bring international experience as a result of competing at the World Championship four times, including having eight points (two goals, six assists) in 10 games when Sweden won in 2018. The Kramfors native has 401 points (194 goals, 207 assists) in 630 games across nine seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and was an All-Star in 2022.

4. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche

Another current NHL captain, this time for the Colorado Avalanche, Gabriel Landeskog is an obvious addition to the Swedish roster given his recent contributions in helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup in 2022. The Stockholm native is a machine — he has 571 points (248 goals, 323 assists) in 738 games.

5. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

Born in Calgary, the 29-year-old is the son of former NHL forward and New York Ranger Michael Nylander, a native of Stockholm. Forward William Nylander has competed at the World Championship four times, including having 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 10 games as MVP when Sweden won in 2017.

6. Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

The last player Sweden named in it's first six is their youngest — 23-year-old Lucas Raymond. Raymond is coming off having his NHL career-high 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) this season, and has represented Sweden at the past three World Championships and had 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 10 games in this year’s tournament.