Jesper Bratt disrespected again, left off initial six for Team Sweden's Olympic roster

In the NHL, you will come across players who are playing well and helping their team; however, you also notice that some of the NHL’s media outlets give them little to no mention. These players are usually called “under the radar” players, and the Devils currently have a player who isn’t even getting mentioned for being a great winger, as well as for a top 6 Olympic consideration in Jesper Bratt.

Earlier today, several countries released their rosters for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The Devils did have three of their players on the Swiss roster, including Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jonas Siegenthaler, as well as defensemen Simon Nemec, who is on the preliminary roster in Slovakia. Ondrej Palat was given his space to represent Czechia.

When the Sweden roster got posted, the top names included Maple Leafs wing William Nylander, Los Angeles Kings left wing Adrian Kempe, and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog. However, Jesper Bratt did not make the preliminary team for Sweden. It should shock a lot of people about how seemingly unfair Bratt isn’t at least getting a chance to prove himself as a top winger in the NHL by being put in the top six of these rosters, especially looking at the stats of the 2024-25 season between Kempe and Raymond.

Jesper Bratt had an 88-point season, including 21 goals and 67 assists, which has easily been his best season so far. Lucas Raymond had an 80-point season, with 27 goals and 53 assists, which is eight points less than Bratt's output. 

Kempe had a great season, scoring 35 goals and assisting on 38, leading to a 73-point total, 15 points less than Bratt. The stats make Bratt the better candidate against these two players. Kempe has more experience in the NHL, and he has improved every year since his 2022-23 season, which helped him score 10 points in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jesper Bratt is snubbed again

The big question is how Lucas Raymond got a spot over Bratt? Raymond has been in the NHL for only three seasons and hasn’t had the same experience as Kempe and Bratt. Raymond being selected early over Bratt might be because of his trajectory. If that was the case, then yeah, Raymond deserves it. Still, hard-working individuals like Bratt should be rewarded, so you have a better chance of winning a tournament.

The fact that Bratt hasn’t even received a mention about being in this tournament showcases that his efforts aren’t getting rewarded, and it should make any Devils fan mad. What else does Bratt need to do to make himself noticed by the league to put him in contention for an award or a tournament invitation? Maybe if Bratt somehow has a monster season on the same level as Connor McDavid, then he’ll be in award contention and play in tournaments, too. What Jesper Bratt does have here is a fan base that is 100% behind him in his efforts.

Let's be real, Bratt is going to make this roster. It's just the marketing tool of the Olympics to name these rosters in waves. However, it shows where Bratt lies in the pecking order, and that must be humbling.