Team Sweden could regret passing on Islanders forward

With Olympic rosters officially submitted, the task of nitpicking selections begins. One interesting selection pertains to Team Sweden. The Swedish side made its roster public, featuring a lineup jam-packed with talent.

But one curious absence is New York Islanders forward Emil Heineman. Heineman has had one heck of a season for the Isles this year. He’s found a home in Long Island after coming over from the Montreal Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade.

Entering Saturday night’s action, Heineman had 12 goals in 41 games. He’s already blown past his career-high in goals and matched his highest point total.

Apparently, that doesn’t seem noteworthy enough for Team Sweden. Fair enough. Perhaps the Swedish side is looking for players with other qualities that Heineman may not possess. One such player appears to be Pontus Holmberg of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Holmberg has six goals in 34 games this season, while pretty much playing a bottom-six role for the Lightning. Sure, the Lightning are a deep team, but what does Holmberg have over Heineman?

Holmberg has never been more than a depth player. Even when the Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to give him a greater role, he could not quite step up. Since moving to Tampa Bay, Holmberg continues to play the role of grinder.

As Uffe Bodin wrote for Daily Faceoff in his analysis of Team Sweden:

"Hallam (Sweden's head coach) opted for Alexander Wennberg and Pontus Holmberg as two of his forwards — safe but unspectacular choices."

Bodin even went further, suggesting that Simon Holmstrom should have also gotten a nod. And, it's not hard to agree with him. Holmstrom and Heineman have proven their solid forwards, even if they can't necessarily play center.

That’s something Heineman (or Holmstrom for that matter) hasn’t done all season. Still, Heineman’s chemistry with Bo Horvat has emerged precisely because Heineman is a gritty, focused player. He wins puck battles and has speed to keep up.

Heineman is pretty much a younger, more efficient version of Holmberg. It’s worth pointing out that the Olympics could shape up like the 4 Nations Face-Off. Games will be hard-fought and tight-checking. So, technically, a known grinder like Holmberg gives Sweden something other forwards don’t really have.

But then again, goals will come at a premium. And having depth scoring will be crucial for all teams in the tourney. Team Sweden may come to regret leaving someone like Emil Heineman off its roster. When games come down to third and fourth-line shifts, the Swedish side may wish they had a potential game-breaker like Heineman in the lineup.