Top 5 Swedish NHL players feat. Erik Karlsson

Swedish NHL players are renowned for their talent, dexterity, and skill on the ice. The NHL has witnessed an increase of outstanding players from Sweden throughout the years. Let’s take a look at the skills of the five best Swedish NHL players, whose outstanding careers have irrevocably impacted the game.

#1 Nicklas Backstrom, Swedish NHL Center:

Nicklas Backstrom, a native of the hockey-mad country of Sweden, has made a tremendous career for himself and the Washington Capitals, as well as the league at large. The Capitals alternate captain is a profound Swedish NHL player, which made the Capitals select him with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Although Nicklas Backstrom has received numerous individual honors and achievements, winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 was his greatest triumph. The hockey star has 21 points with seven goals and 14 assists in 39 games played in the 2022-23 season.

#2 Erik Karlsson:

Swedish NHL star Erik Karlsson takes second place on the list of the top five Swedish NHL players. The 33-year-old San Jose Sharks defenseman has earned numerous awards throughout his career, but none are more prestigious than the Norris Trophy, which is given to the league's top defenseman.

During his time with the Ottawa Senators between 2012 and 2015, Karlsson won the Norris Trophy twice, solidifying his place among the best defenders of his generation. When he was named the Senators' ninth captain in 2014, he led by example and continued to be a strong voice in the dressing room. The current alternate captain of the Sharks has 101 points with 25 goals and 76 assists in 82 games played in the 2022-23 season.

#3 Victor Hedman:

Victor Hedman is the Swedish NHL defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning who was chosen by the team in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft with the second overall pick. Hedman received the Norris Trophy in 2018 for his extraordinary talent and supremacy on the blue line.

Hedman's greatest accomplishment, though, came in 2020 when he assisted the Tampa Bay Lightning in winning the Stanley Cup. He showed his real grit throughout the playoffs, putting in a lot of ice time and pulling through with key plays. The alternative captain has 49 points with nine goals and 40 assists in 76 games played in the last season.

#4 Mika Zibanejad

Mika Zibanejad is the alternate captain and hockey center for the New York Rangers, who stepped onto the ice with the Ottawa Senators in 2011 NHL Entry Draft with the sixth overall pick.

The Swedish NHL star made history by accomplishing the exceptional feat of scoring five goals, including the overtime winner, in a single game when playing against the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2020. Zibanejad has 91 points with 39 goals and 52 assists from last season’s 82 games.

#5 Patric Hornqvist:

The former NHL player Patric Hornqvist is the last name on the list who initiated his hockey career with the Nashville Predators in 2005. Patric Hornqvist helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2017.

Hornqvist's game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against his old team, the Predators, gave the Penguins the title. The ex-veteran had three points with one goal and two assists with the Panthers in the last 2022-23 season.