Sweden HC Addresses Predators Wing's Limited Ice Time vs. Italy

Filip Forsberg leads all Swedish-born NHL players with 24 goals this season. However, during Sweden's 5-2 victory over Italy in their Olympic opener, he played a very short amount of time. This raised eyebrows not for the result, but for the deployment.

The Nashville Predators winger barely saw the ice, while Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson watched the entire game from the bench without a single shift. Swedish reporters had plenty of questions for head coach Sam Hallam at practice ahead of their late week rivalry game against Finland.

The Olympic Format Problem

"I was joking around that I had the best seat in the house," Ekman-Larsson said with a laugh, adding that the media was making it a bigger deal than it was.

The issue stems from roster rules. In the NHL, teams dress 18 skaters and two goalies. The 4 Nations Face-Off last season used the same format. At the Olympics, teams can dress 20 skaters and two goalies, creating difficult decisions for coaches and awkward situations for elite players. Hallam defended his approach as he acknowledged the uncomfortable reality of having more talent than ice time available.

"I think it's just the format," he said. "We're used to dressing six defensemen, 12 forwards. You never have this question in the NHL. We didn't have it in the 4 Nations. So, it's the format that offers us the possibility to have an extra 'D,' an extra forward on the bench, and if we wouldn't dress seven and 13 and get an early injury, I would look pretty stupid."

"You have to be really good to make it into 25, and we can't play 25," Hallam said. "That's the honest truth about it. You're here to play for our country and it's a tournament. We're going to need each and every one of them. That's the way it is, but everybody can't play."

Feb 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) looks to pass as Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (38) defends during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Sweden Survived a Scare

The limited deployment of Forsberg and Ekman-Larsson came in a game that was closer than expected. Italy, in the tournament only as host nation with zero NHL experience on its roster, led 1-0 in the first period and had the game tied 2-2 in the second.

Sweden outshot Italy 60-22 but needed goals from Gabriel Landeskog, William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, Gustav Forsling, and Victor Hedman to pull away. Rasmus Dahlin tied a Sweden Olympic record with three assists.

Team Sweden faces Finland later this week at Santagiulia Arena. The Finns are desperate after losing their opener 4-1 to Slovakia, while Sweden looks to clean up its inconsistent performance. Whether Forsberg and Ekman-Larsson see more ice time remains to be seen.

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