ETOBICOKE, Ontario -- In the last best-on-best tournament for Team Sweden, things didn't go exceptionally well for Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Yes, the defenseman had three assists in the 2014 Sochi Olympics but he averaged 10 minutes of ice time per game and did not have a shift in the semifinal victory against Team Finland despite being dressed for the game.
It was a humbling experience for Ekman-Larsson, who was on the brink of superstardom with his NHL team, the Arizona Coyotes.
"It was tough because I didn't play much in that tournament," Ekman-Larsson said after practice Saturday at MasterCard Centre. "I hope that I will be able to play a little more in this one."
Team Sweden plays its first World Cup of Hockey 2016 preliminary round game on Sunday against Team Russia at Air Canada Centre in Toronto (3:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports), and it's a safe bet that Ekman-Larsson will be an integral part of the defensive rotation.
Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has full confidence in Ekman-Larsson, believing the defenseman can play the 200-foot game needed to see a regular shift.
"I think he is solid in the defensive end too and has been put in some kind of a niche of just being an offensive defenseman," Gronborg said. "I think he has a complete game. He just maybe does it a little bit different than maybe some defensive defensemen do it.
"We need from all six, if not all seven, defensemen we have here to play solid defense because we are facing off against the most offensive minded team here, against Russia, in the first game. It's important that we are all sticking together with the game plan. I'm not worried about his defensive side of that game; that is going to take care of itself."
Ekman-Larsson also has the confidence of his teammates, many of whom play against him regularly in the NHL.
"For me, he has always been great from Day Onw," Team Sweden forward Daniel Sedin said. "But, for me, I think he is now getting the recognition around the League and I think you look at him as a great offensive defenseman, but he is just as good on the defensive side of things.
"I have a lot of respect for him as a defenseman. He is very all-around in how he plays. I don't know if he is under-appreciated around the league but I have him as top-5 for sure."
Gabriel Landeskog, who plays for the Colorado Avalanche, rarely relishes playing against Ekman-Larsson.
"He is tough to play against, I will tell you that," Landeskog said. "It's tough to stay in the shooting lane on him. He finds a way to get shots through either way whatever you do. He's tough to play against, but I am happy to have him on my team. "He's one of those guys that you trust out there both defensively with his skating ability and offensively getting pucks to the net and doing all the right things."
There has never been any question about Ekman-Larsson's ability to change games with his offensive skill. This past season, he had career-highs in assists (34) and points (55). In 2014-15, he had a personal-best 23 goals.
Now he is starting to impact games in a positive manner in his own end. Last seaspn, he increased his plus-minus rating by two-thirds, going from a minus-18 to a minus-6.
"He can be a little gritty and strong in the corners and with his skating ability, you are not going to get around him unless you have a couple of steps on him," Landeskog said. "He's not a guy that you look at the lineup and say, 'OK, we can take advantage of this guy.' It's almost the other way around. You know you are going to have your hands full with him and he is not going to give you anything.
"It's almost that Erik Karlsson-type skating where it doesn't look like they are putting a whole lot of effort into it, yet they seem to be the fastest guys out there."
Even Ekman-Larsson feels he is a more complete player than the one that was too often an afterthought during the Sochi Olympics.
"Obviously that was two or three years ago now; I hope I am a better player," he said. "I should be."
Ekman-Larsson is looking to forget about the disappointments and says he has turned the page.
"Obviously, it is always nice to represent your country and I am going to do the best to help the team to win and that is why I am here," he said.
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