World Cup Player Notes (Sep 1)

Team Sweden will have to appoint another captain for their World Cup team, as Henrik Zetterberg becomes the latest player to withdraw from the roster, due to a knee injury.  The release from the Red Wings said that the 35-year old suffered the knee injury in some off-ice training and will undergo an MRI in the next few days to figure out the extent of the injury and it will not only force him out of the tournament, but could also impact his availability for training camp in a few weeks.  Definitely something to keep an eye on.

His replacement will be Flames forward Mikael Backlund, a player who is trending upwards in his career trajectory at age 27 and should be a good fit for this Swedish side.  Last season, he posted 21 goals and 47 points in 80 for Calgary and certainly has the potential for a little bit more and he should also get a boost from a head start to the season, playing at this exhibition.