Nylander lining up with Zibanejad, Rakell on Team Sweden at practice

This should have the makings of a quality line for Sweden when they need to generate some offence. While he is in the midst of a down year by his standards, Zibanejad is still right near the top of the New York Rangers in scoring with 37 points (11 goals and 26 assists) in 55 games played. The opportunity to play alongside Nylander will no doubt give the centre an extra kick in his step and the two should be able to bring out the best in each other.

Rakell is no slouch and has quietly been one of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ most reliable scorers this season with 48 points (25 goals and 23 assists) in 56 games, which has him second on the team behind only Sidney Crosby. His versatility and release should be a good fit alongside the two aforementioned players and should give Sweden confidence that the line can provide some offence when needed.

Nylander will certainly be pleased to be put on this line as he expressed hope around the time the 4 Nations rosters were announced that he would get to play with Zibanejad during the tournament.

“Yeah, it’s going to be lots of fun. I’m really excited for that,” he said to reporters on December 5. “They’ve just talked to me a little bit, maybe to play with (Mika) Zibanejad. I think that would be a lot of fun.”

At the time of filing, it is unclear how Sweden’s power play units will shake up at the tournament but there is a good chance Nylander will be on the top unit. After all, he is having another solid season and is currently second in the NHL in goals with 33 behind only Leon Draisaitl. Having his elite skillset is going to be an invaluable tool for his country, and they are anticipating him shooting the lights out in the offensive zone.

Sweden coach Sam Hallam sees Nylander as a major spark on the team and one he will lean a lot on. This means there is a good chance that his linemates may change throughout the 4 Nations.

“With William Nylander I think he’s maybe the most spark we have. Many see William as an individual kind of player, offensively extremely talented and skilled,” he said to NHL.com’s Tracey Myers on January 30. “My picture of him is he’s a really good guy and he cares a lot, and he cares a lot for the national team. Every chance he gets he wants to play for it and we want to show our appreciation and give him even more responsibility because I know he can handle it and he wants it.”

Nylander and Sweden will open their tournament against Mitch Marner and Canada on Wednesday in Montreal, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.