Three members of the Minnesota Wild are all but locks to be in Italy in February chasing an Olympic gold medal as part of Team Sweden. Nearly every roster projection includes Joel Eriksson Ek at forward, Jonas Brodin on defense and Filip Gustavsson in goal.
But another Wild player might have have Team Sweden coach Sam Hallam thinking about a roster addition.
On Monday night in Vegas, Wild forward Marcus Johansson scored his 12th goal of the season just 26 seconds into the game, and followed it up with the trio of assists in Minnesota’s walk-away 5-2 win. The dozen goals are more than Johansson, 35, notched in either of his two previous full seasons, and the 2025-26 campaign will not be half done until the conclusion of Wednesday’s game in San Jose.
“I think he’s really playing with a lot of confidence. I think his skating has been great,” Wild coach John Hynes said after Johansson posted a four-point game for the second time in his career. “His two-way game has been really solid, and I think he’s certainly deserving of the production that he’s getting.”
For players not headed to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the three-week break from the NHL schedule will be a time to relax and recover. But as he plays some of his best hockey, Johansson made it clear he would welcome the opportunity to play for his country instead of visiting a beach somewhere.
As of Monday night, he had not been contacted by anyone from Team Sweden.
“I would love to. Hopefully I’ve shown enough. We’ll see,” he said to reporters in the postgame scrum in Vegas. “It’s an honor to play for your country. Like I said, I’ve done … what I can to earn a spot. We’ll see.”
Putting on the blue and gold has been an important part of Johansson’s career, starting in 2007 and 2008 when he skated for Sweden in the World Juniors. He also donned the three crowns in the 2014 Winter Olympics, and most recently last spring when he posted eight points in nine games for the Swedes in the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
Hynes, who has coached Team USA at the international level many times, said in Johansson this season he has seen an on-ice resume that deserves a second look from his countrymen.
“Obviously I’m not the decision-maker, but I think the way that he’s played to date, and (because) he’s played on other Sweden national teams,” Hynes said. “He’s gone to the World Championships numerous times. He’s played in the Olympics, and he’s playing some of his best hockey. Good for him. I’m hoping he certainly makes it.”
Team Sweden opens Olympic play Feb. 11 versus host Italy.
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