Hampus Lindholm Replaces Niklas Kronwall at World Cup

Add Niklas Kronwall to the list of players announcing that they will not participate in the World Cup of Hockey. Kronwall will bow out due to a knee injury, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Team Sweden has pegged Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm as his replacement.

The 22-year-old Lindholm is a rising star in the NHL and isn’t unfamiliar with the Tre Kronor sweater. He was a part of Team Sweden’s top defensive pairing at the 2012 U18 World Championship, where Sweden grabbed silver. He followed that up by earning a spot on the 2013 World Junior Championship team but did not participate in the tournament after suffering an injury in an exhibition game.

Last season, Lindholm played 80 games for the Ducks, logging 28 points with a career-high 10 goals. He finished out the year with an impressive 7.29% adjusted CF%Rel.

Lindholm is currently a restricted free agent without a contract in place. The NHL had previously announced that they plan to insure all unsigned players participating in the World Cup, as those players will not be covered by a contract with their respective team.