For most NHLers, the opportunity to attend the Olympics will be one of the greatest achievements of their careers. Every team is full of the country's best players, and there have been countless times where stars on their respective club teams had to take a backseat for the betterment of the team. Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm has been watching the first two Sweden games from the press box after being a late addition to the roster, and there doesn't seem to be a path into the lineup.
That path opened up just a little when defender Philip Broberg took some hard contact into the boards in Sweden's rivalry matchup with Finland on Friday morning. Broberg exited the ice with his arm hanging by his side, with what seemingly looked like a shoulder injury. However, after undergoing some treatment on the bench, he managed to stay in the game.
Shoulder injuries can be a tricky ailment. The adrenaline and treatment helped the St. Louis Blues' defenseman stay in this game, but it could be difficult for him to turn it around and dress again on Saturday against Slovakia. After the loss to Finland, the Slovakia matchup became very important to Sweden's tournament outlook.
If Broberg is able to go, it isn't likely that we'll see Lindholm dress unless an injury does happen down the road. Every Sweden game from here on out is going to be must-win, and the coaching staff isn't going to mess with their lines if they hit a groove against Slovakia. However, if Sweden drops a second consecutive game on Saturday, it could lead to some lineup changes out of necessity.
Hampus Lindholm could dress, but will he play?
Sweden has been having some strange lineup decisions for most of this tournament. International rules allow the coaching staff to dress 20 skaters, and Sweden is opting not to give their extra players much ice time. Filip Forsberg was the 13th forward for their opening game and played just one shift, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson sat on the bench for the entire game without getting a chance.
If Lindholm does get to play on Saturday, Bruins fans still can't say with certainty that they'll see him in game action. It's likely that Ekman-Larsson would move up the lineup, and Lindholm would take his place as the divider between the forwards and the defense on the bench.