With just a few days left before the opening of the hockey tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Team Sweden made another roster move as Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin withdrew due to injury. In his absence, Washington’s Marcus Johansson is getting the nod.
Injured Henrik Sedin will be difficult to replace on Team Sweden, but the nation’s hockey federation chose Marcus Johansson to take his roster spot.
The Washington Capitals forward has played alongside Alex Ovechkin, though not now, so he can handle top-line duties. He’s a natural center who can also play on the wing and ranks third on the Capitals with 36 points, averaging 17:31 a game.
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Many Nashville Predators fans will be upset that Patric Hornqvist wasn’t chosen (this is the second injury-related move in recent days, as Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist was tabbed to replace Johan Franzen). A key factor here, however, is Johansson’s ability to play center, where Sedin’s absence leaves a significant void.
But hey, if the word “snub” suddenly turns Hornqvist into a snarling, motivated-to-prove-them-all-wrong dynamo, I won’t complain.
