Some even could argue that the best European-born hockey player in the game today happens to be Swedish — Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Certainly the finest and most entertaining pair of twins to perform in the League — Daniel and Henrik Sedin — is Swedish.

So without further delay, here are NHL.com’s top 10 Swedes currently playing in the NHL. Noticeable absentees from this list include Mats Sundin, who still is uncertain on playing in 2009-10, and St. Louis center Patrik Berglund, who needs to prove his strong rookie season was no fluke before making the cut.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom, D, Detroit: Let’s call him the best European player in the League right now, although Washington’s Alex Ovechkin quickly is closing the gap. Lidstrom, a six-time Norris Trophy winner, has 997 points and a plus-409 rating in 1,330 career games spanning 17 seasons. His 24:49 average ice time per game and plus-31 rating was tops among Swedish players in 2008-09.

2. Henrik Zetterberg, F, Detroit: The 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy winner turned in his fourth straight 30-goal campaign last season, and he has 405 points in 432 career games — all with the Red Wings.

3. Henrik Lundqvist, G, N.Y. Rangers: Lundqvist became the first goalie in NHL history to win at least 30 games in each of his first four seasons in the League; in 2008-09 he went 38-25-7 with a 2.43 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in each of his first three seasons.

4. Daniel Alfredsson, F, Ottawa:  “Alfie” is a model of consistency, topping 70 points for the eighth straight season in 2008-09. He posted 5 goals and 10 points to help lead Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

5. Nicklas Backstrom, F, Washington: The Capitals center led all Swedes with 66 assists, 88 points and 14 power-play goals last season. He also registered 15 points in 14 postseason games last spring.

6. Daniel Sedin, F, Vancouver: Born six minutes after his brother Henrik, Daniel Sedin has scored at least 22 goals in each of the last four seasons, including 31 goals (with 7 game-winners) and 82 points — second among Swedes — in 2008-09.

7. Henrik Sedin, F, Vancouver: Henrik equaled his brother with 82 points, including 22 goals, and his 8 game-winning goals were tied for the most among Swedish players. The center also finished third among Swedish-born players with a 49.6 winning percentage on faceoffs.

8. Johan Franzen, F, Detroit: “The Mule” has improved on his point total in each of his four seasons in the League (16 points in 2005-06, 30 in 2006-07, 38 in 2007-08, 59 in 2008-09). He had a career-high 34 goals (including 8 game-winning goals) last season and has become one of the League’s premiere power forwards. He had 12 goals and 23 points in 23 postseason games last spring.

9. Loui Eriksson, F, Dallas: Eriksson had the highest shooting percentage (20.2) of any Swedish player with 60 or more games under his belt last season, and topped all Swedes in the NHL with 36 goals — placing him fifth in the Western Conference and 12th overall in goal-scoring. He finished sixth among his countrymen with 63 points while playing all 82 games. He has increased his goal and point totals in each of his three seasons in the League.

10. Niklas Kronwall, D, Detroit: He’s perhaps the hardest hitter of any Swedish player in the game. Kronwall finished with career highs in assists (45) and points (51) last season. He also had 96 hits and 109 blocked shots in 80 regular-season games for the Wings. He led all Swedes in the playoffs last spring with 59 hits and 36 blocks.

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In fact, three of the nine Rangers prospects expected to play full seasons in Europe this year are on teams that begin preseason play next week.

 
Rangers seventh-round draftee Mikhail Pashnin was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 KHL draft. The defenseman, is expected to play in the KHL this season pending his release from a contract he signed with his last Russian team in Chelyabinsk.
The first of these European players to see action will be Roman Psurny, as 2003 Rangers draft choice, and Zdenek Bahensky, who was picked at the 2004 draft. Both of their NHL playing rights remain with the Blueshirts.

This season, Psurny will be playing for Usti nad Labem in the Czech First Division, and that team’s first preseason game is scheduled for next Tuesday, with regular-season play opening on Sept. 9. Bahensky, who is spending 2009-10 with Psurny’s former team, Mlada Boleslav of the Czech Extraliga, also has an exhibition game on Tuesday and a regular-season opener on Sept. 9.

Just a few days after Psurny and Bahensky’s teams take the ice, 2007 Rangers draftee David Skokan begins preseason play with Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga. Skokan, who spent last season in the lower, First Division with Poprad, has an exhibition game scheduled for July 31. His regular season begins on Sept. 11.

In August, the six other Rangers prospects on European rosters get into action. Like Psurny, Bahensky and Skokan, most of these players are unsigned, but their 2009-10 NHL rights belong to the Blueshirts.

The oldest member of the European group is 31-year-old Ilya Gorokhov, a 1995 draftee who is the alternate captain of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL. Gorokhov has never chosen to come to North America, which is why the Rangers still hold his rights if he ever does arrive. His Yaroslavl team begins preseason play in the middle of next month, with its KHL opener on Sept. 12 vs. Nizhnekamsk.

Also expected to play in the KHL this year is 2008 seventh-rounder Mikhail Pashnin, the No. 1 overall pick in that league’s draft who will join CSKA Moscow as soon as his contract and transfer from Chelyabinsk are complete.

Currently under contract to Chelaybinsk, Pashnin must gain full release before he can report to CSKA, which has exhibitions beginning on Aug. 11 and a season-opener set for Sept. 11 vs. Moscow Dynamo. Pashnin, a defenseman, was a teammate of Rangers prospect Evgeny Grachev on Russia’s 2009 World Junior Championship squad.

If Pashnin is in uniform for the Sept. 11 opener, he could be seeing another Rangers prospect on the other side of the ice in that game, because fellow defenseman Pavel Valentenko is listed on the Dynamo roster for next season. Valentenko’s NHL playing rights were obtained from Montreal in the Scott Gomez trade on June 30, and even if he remains in Russia, he would still be in position to join the Rangers in a future season.

A third Rangers prospect playing in Moscow is Spartak’s Ivan Baranka. The defenseman, who appeared in one game for the Rangers in 2007-08, has exhibitions starting on Aug. 11 and a season opener on Sept. 12 vs. Kazan.

Rounding out the Rangers’ European contingent for 2009-10 are 2006 draftees David Kveton and Lukas Zeliska, who will be teammates with Trinec in the Czech Extraliga Their regular season begins Sept. 9.

One player who won’t spend this season in Europe is 2008 fourth-round draft pick Roman Horak, a highly-regarded center from the Czech Republic. Horak, a strong candidate for the Czechs’ 2010 World Junior Championship team, will follow in the footsteps of Grachev and Tomas Kundratek, two Rangers draft picks from 2008 who both left Europe to play major-junior hockey in Canada.

Drafted by the Chilliwack Bruins at No. 8 overall in the first round of the CHL Import Draft on June 30, Horak will be coming to North America in the coming weeks to prepare for his first Western Hockey League season. Like Grachev and Kundratek this season, he would be eligible to play in Hartford the following year.

Horak’s decision to play major junior means that eight of the past 11 players drafted by the Rangers off of European teams’ rosters have opted to leave home and spend their first season after the draft playing in North America –a testament to their desire to play in the NHL rather than remaining overseas.

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Gaborik, a two-time NHL All-Star, has reached the 30-goal plateau in five of his eight NHL seasons, including a 42-goal season in 2007-08.  He owns Minnesota Wild franchise records in points (437), goals (219), assists (218), power play goals (59), game-winning goals (43), and shots on goal (1,694).  He has also posted 112 career multi-point performances.  Gaborik, 27, has skated in 502 career regular season contests with Minnesota, registering 219 goals and 218 assists for 437 points, along with 301 penalty minutes.

In 2007-08, Gaborik established career-highs in goals (42), assists (41), points (83), and plus/minus rating (plus-17).  His 42 goals and 83 points were both Minnesota franchise records, while his eight game-winning goals tied the franchise record he previously set during the 2002-03 season. He also led the Wild in plus/minus rating and multi-point games (20), and tied for the team lead in power play goals (11). On December 20, he became the first NHL player in 11 years to tally five goals in a game, accomplishing the feat against the Rangers (last – Sergei Fedorov, December 26, 1996).  He also added an assist in the contest to record his second career six-point effort.

In addition, Gaborik registered his 400th NHL point with an assist on March 7 at Atlanta, and notched his 200th career goal on March 15 against Los Angeles.

In 2002-03, Gaborik became the first member of the Wild to participate in the NHL All-Star Game, tallying three points (one goal and two assists) in the contest to earn Second Star honors. As a rookie in 2000-01, Gaborik led the Wild in points (36) and shots (179), and tied for the team lead in goals (18). His 179 shots led all NHL rookies, while he finished fifth among league rookies in goals and tied for fifth in points. He also registered his first career goal, the first goal in Wild franchise history, in his NHL debut on October 6, 2000 at Anaheim.

In postseason play, Gaborik has skated in 29 career contests with Minnesota, collecting 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points, along with 18 penalty minutes. He led the Wild to the Western Conference Finals in 2003, registering a team leading nine goals and 17 points in 18 games. His nine goals and 17 points both ranked third in the NHL.

The 6-1, 200-pounder appeared in 17 games with Minnesota last season, registering 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points, along with two penalty minutes. He led the Wild in points for the month of April, recording 10 points (five goals and five assists) in five games.  Gaborik posted seven multi-point performances, including a four-point effort on March 25 at the New York Islanders (two goals and two assists). He finished the season riding a seven-game scoring streak, registering 13 points (seven goals and six assists) during the stretch, which included a five-game goal streak from March 29 at Edmonton to April 7 vs. Dallas. The five-game goal scoring streak tied his career-high. The April 7 game against Dallas was also Gaborik’s 500th NHL appearance.

Internationally, Gaborik has represented Slovakia in several major tournaments. Most recently, he skated for his native country at the 2007 World Championships, registering a team-high five goals and 11 points in six games. In 2006, he made his Olymipic debut for Slovakia at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, collecting seven points (three goals and four assists) in six games.

The Trencin, Slovakia native was originally Minnesota’s first round choice, third overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

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The Swedish Ice Hockey Association will amass the initial roster candidates on Thursday and Friday at a press conference at a golf club in the city of Molndal, a suburb of Gothenburg.

All 34 players nominated have NHL ties and range from All-Stars (Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Lundqvist) to prospects (Carl Gunnarsson, Tom Wandell). Conveniently, the candidates are all in Sweden for the press conference and Swedish officials can collect paperwork and signatures and provide anti-doping information from the Swedish Olympic Committee that marks the beginning of their consideration. Notable names missing from the list are Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom, Johan Franzen, Patrik Berglund, and Mikael Samuelsson, suggesting they are not currently living or vacationing in their homeland.

Coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, “All could not be there, simply.” Explaining the inclusion of several longshots such as Gunnarsson (Toronto), Wandell (Dallas) and goaltending prospects Daniel Larsson (Detroit) and Jhonas Enroth (Buffalo), Gustafsson said, “There is no upper limit. We can nominate how many we want. Sometime in September, we shall submit the entire list.”

The final 23-man roster does not have to be submitted to the International Ice Hockey Federation until Dec. 31. Currently, there is no plan for the Swedes to hold an on-ice training camp.

Backstrom and the Sedin twins are no-brainers to play in Vancouver. They were the top three Swedish born and trained scorers in the NHL last season and totaled 75 goals and 177 assists.

The 34 players include 10 from the 2006 gold medal-winning squad at the Torino Games — Daniel Alfredsson, P.J. Axelsson, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Lidstrom, Lundqvist, Fredrik Modin, Mattias Ohlund, Samuel Pahlsson and Henrik Zetterberg.

Four of the players — Kronwall, Lidstrom, Modin and Zetterberg — are members of the 22-man Triple Gold Club, winners of the Stanley Cup, the IIHF World Championship and Olympic gold. Samuelsson is also an active member.

Four years ago in Torino, Lundqvist played six of Sweden’s eight games and posted a 5-1 record. His backups then, Mikael Tellqvist and Stefan Liv, will not be in Molndal. Aside from Lundqvist, who again figures to be the starter, the other goalie candidates named are Enroth, Erik Ersberg, Jonas Gustavsson and Larsson.

Gustavsson was signed as a free agent by Toronto earlier this month and is projected to be the backup to Vesa Toskala. Last season he led the Elitserien — Sweden’s top league — with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 42 regular-season games en route to winning the championship with Farjestads BK Karlstad.

Enroth and Larsson will probably begin 2009-10 in the American Hockey League, and Ersberg is competing for a backup job in Los Angeles.

Mats Sundin, who captained Sweden to the gold in 2006, announced in June that he does not want consideration to play in 2010. “There will be no Olympics in Vancouver for me next year,” Sundin was quoted on the Web site of Swedish newspaper Expressen. “I will not change my mind. I think it’s time that the next generation takes over. We have many good players.”

The odds-on favorite to captain Tre Kronor becomes Lidstrom, who captained the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 2008. Lidstrom has also played in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Games.

“I want to get started with the NHL season first before I make the final decision if I should play in the Olympics or not,” the 39-year-old told the Swedish newspaper Expressen. “I want to be (in Molndal) and hear what the Hockey Federation and Olympic Committee for the games in Vancouver have to say.

“I don’t deny that participating in a fourth Olympic Games entices me.”

Tre Kronor veterans Markus Naslund and Kenny Jonsson retired earlier this year.

The availability of Swedish legend Peter Forsberg is unknown at this time, as he has battled a variety of groin and foot injuries that have halted his NHL career. Forsberg, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner (1994, 2006) appeared in only three games with Modo Ornskoldsvik last season, scoring a goal and three points. Forsberg, who recently turned 36, is a Triple Gold club member.

The Elitserien, one of the top professional leagues in the world which opens its regular season on Sept. 21, will also produce candidates for Vancouver. In 2006, Sweden’s roster featured five players who were not from NHL rosters.

“Oh yeah, there are many interesting names,” Gustafsson said of candidates from the Elitserien. “We will nominate many, then we out the final squad much later. It is time to go more than half of the season so everyone has ample time to show up.”

Last season, nine of the 14 leading scorers in the Elitserien were Swedes. The five goaltenders with the lowest goals-against averages were also natives.

2010 Swedish Olympic candidates

Goaltenders (5): Jhonas Enroth, Erik Ersberg, Jonas Gustavsson, Daniel Larsson, Henrik Lundqvist

Forwards (16): Daniel Alfredsson, P.J. Axelsson, Fabian Brunnstrom, Loui Eriksson, Tomas Holmstrom, Kristian Huselius, Patric Hornqvist, Joel Lundqvist, Fredrik Modin, Robert Nilsson, Michael Nylander, Samuel Pahlsson, Alexander Steen, Rickard Wallin, Tom Wandell, Henrik Zetterberg

Defensemen (13): Alexander Edler, Tobias Enstrom, Jonathan Ericsson, Jonas Frogren, Nicklas Grossman, Carl Gunnarsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom, Douglas Murray, Johnny Oduya, Mattias Ohlund, Anton Stralman

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The other is Finland, Russia’s Scandinavian neighbor to the West. Since 1988, the Finns have earned two silver and two bronze medals. In search of that elusive gold, the tiny nation of 5.3 million has invited 48 players to its pre-Olympic camp at the Sport Institute of Finland in Vierumaki on Aug. 11-12. There will not be any ice time, only lectures and off-ice training.

The numbers of players named by Finland is the most of any of the 12 nations that will participate in the tournament in February in Vancouver, including runner-up Canada (46). Belarus, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland have yet to announce a preliminary roster.

The composition of Finland’s candidate list includes 34 players who appeared in at least one game in the NHL in 2008-09. The remainder played primarily in the Swedish Elite League (5), Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (5), the Finnish SM-Liiga (3) and Switzerland’s Nationalliga A.

Thirty of the players are under NHL contracts. Since the end of last season, four have left the NHL for the KHL — Lasse Kukkonen (Philadelphia to Avangard Omsk), Ville Peltonen (Florida to Dynamo Minsk), Janne Pesonen (Pittsburgh to Ak Bars Kazan) and Ossi Vaananen (Vancouver to HC Dynamo Minsk).

Seventeen of the campers were members of Finland’s silver medal-winning team in 2006.

Finland’s reputation is that of a goalie factory, and six of the 11 Finnish netminders who appeared in at least one game in the NHL last season will be in Vierumaki. Five — Niklas Backstrom, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Pekka Rinne and Vesa Toskala — are projected as starters for their respective NHL teams. Oddly enough, the one goaltender in camp who is not a clear-cut No. 1, Tampa Bay’s Antero Niittymaki, was Finland’s primary starter at the 2006 Games in Torino. In that tournament, Niittymaki posted a 5-1 record, three shutouts, 1.34 goals-against average and .951 save percentage en route to being named to the All-Star Team and Best Goaltender.

It would be shocking if Backstrom and Kiprusoff didn’t nail down the top two spots for this year’s team, leaving a battle for the little-used No. 3 goalie position. Four years ago that roster spot was occupied by Backstrom, who didn’t play a single minute behind Niittymaki and No. 2 Fredrik Norrena.

Offensively, the Finns are in good hands with several high-scoring veterans who bring a wealth of Olympic and international experience. Olli Jokinen, Teemu Selanne, Tuomo Ruutu, Niklas Hagman and Mikko Koivu all scored 20 or more goals last season. Others, like Saku Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Jere Lehtinen, possess 20-goal talent. Valtteri Filppula and Ville Leino, both of the Detroit Red Wings, should be second- or third-line mainstays in 2009-10 and could elevate their game by February. But the hallmark of the Finnish style is responsible two-way play and not run-and-gun scoring.

Like Niittymaki, Selanne and Saku Koivu were named to the 2006 tournament All-Star Team, and Selanne was selected Best Forward. It will be especially interesting to see where they are come February — the veterans are about to play an NHL season as linemates for the first time. Koivu signed with Anaheim as a free agent following a 13-season stay in Montreal. Koivu and Selanne could play as many as 62 games together and hone their chemistry before heading to Vancouver.

Eight of the 10 Finnish defensemen who appeared in at least one NHL game last season will be in Vierumaki. The exclusions were Teppo Numminen (who retired on Tuesday) and Ville Koistinen. The big names in camp are Kimmo Timonen, Joni Pitkanen and Sami Salo. Timonen was a tournament All-Star in 2006. Kukkonen, the former Flyer who now plays for Avangard Omsk, and Toni Lydman should also secure roster spots. Youngsters Sami Lepisto and Anssi Salmela have potential but are long shots at best and are probably in Vierumaki to gain experience for the future.

The final 23-man Olympic roster does not have to be registered with the International Ice Hockey Federation until Dec. 31, though injury substitutions can be added before the tournament begins Feb. 16.

Finland is currently fourth in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s world rankings.

2010 Finnish Olympic candidates

Goalkeepers (6): Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary), Kari Lehtonen (Atlanta), Antero Niittymaki (Tampa Bay), Pekka Rinne (Nashville), Vesa Toskala (Toronto).

Defensemen (17): Teemu Aalto (Linkopings HC), Topi Jaakola (Sodertalje), Mikko Jokela (Dynamo Minsk), Lasse Kukkonen (Avangard Omsk), Mikko Lehtonen (Frolunda Gothenburg), Sami Lepisto (Phoenix), Toni Lydman (Buffalo), Olli Malmivaara (JYP Jyvaskyla), Janne Niskala (Frolunda Gothenburg), Petteri Nummelin (HC Lugano), Joni Pitkanen (Carolina), Anssi Salmela (Atlanta), Sami Salo (Vancouver), Markus Seikola (Ilves Tampere), Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia), Ossi Vaananen (Dynamo Minsk), Jyrki Valivaara (JYP Jyvaskyla).

Forwards (25): Sean Bergenheim (NY Islanders), Valtteri Filppula (Detroit), Niklas Hagman (Toronto), Riku Hahl (Frolunda Gothenburg), Jarkko Immonen (Ak Bars Kazan), Jussi Jokinen (Carolina), Olli Jokinen (Calgary), Niko Kapanen (Ak Bars Kazan), Sami Kapanen (KalPa Kuopio), Mikko Koivu (Minnesota), Saku Koivu (Anaheim), Petri Kontiola (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Lauri Korpikoski (Phoenix), Jere Lehtinen (Dallas), Ville Leino (Detroit), Antti Miettinen (Minnesota), Petteri Nokelainen (Anaheim), Oskar Osala (Washington), Ville Peltonen (Dynamo Minsk), Janne Pesonen (Ak Bars Kazan), Antti Pihlstrom (Nashville), Mika Pyorala (Philadelphia), Jarkko Ruutu (Ottawa), Tuomo Ruutu (Carolina), Teemu Selanne (Anaheim).

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The first matches of the 2009/10 NHL season, the NHL Premier Games, will be played on October 2nd & 3rd in Stockholm at the Globe Arena and in Helsinki, Finland at the Hartwall Arena. The 2009 NHL Premier Games in Stockholm, will see 2008 Stanley Cup Champions and 2009 runners-up Detroit Red Wings take on the St. Louis Blues. These games will be broadcast on Viasat channel, TV6, in Sweden. The NHL features the leading ice hockey players from all over the world, including some 50 Swedish and 40 Finnish players, a number of whom play for both the Red Wings and the Blues. Viasat has already secured a wide range of exclusive ice hockey broadcasting rights including the annual IIHF World Championship, the KHL, Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan league and the Norwegian Get league.