It's been quite the fall from grace for Sweden at the World Juniors in recent years. They played in five gold medal games between 2008 and 2014, and they've only made the final once and medalled twice since. This, in spite of Sweden setting new records at the NHL Entry Draft like clockwork.

Has the scouting community overrated Swedish talent in this age group? Perhaps, but Canada, Russia, and the United States are all hockey superpowers, drawing from a much larger pool of talent, and that's the competition.

Even so, this tournament is a good experience for Swedish hockey players at a critical stage in their development. That their country boasts one of the top professional leagues has proven something of a blessing and a curse. They get to play against top talent and develop in a professiona