While Team Canada will be the clear favorite to win the gold in Sochi next month, Sweden may very well have the next-best shot.

There are several differences between this year's Swedish team and the one that won gold in Turin in 2006, but this year's team could definitely be just as successful.

The Swedes may be the most well-rounded of the twelve teams, as they will be able to score goals as well as prevent them.

Up front, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin will be extremely dangerous given the chemistry that they have had with one another their entire lives. Nicklas Backstrom, Gabriel Landeskog and Alexander Steen are three other forwards who could have huge impacts offensively.

The biggest name up front for Team Sweden, however, may be Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg is one of six Red Wings playing for Sweden along with forwards Johan Franzen and Daniel Alfredsson (in which will likely be his last Olympics), defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson and goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.

Kronwall and Erik Karlsson, arguably the NHL's top offensive defenseman, will lead the charge on defense for the Swedes. The team is very deep on the blue line, however, boasting names like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alexander Edler and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Even though Nicklas Lidstrom will not be anchoring the defense this time around, the Swedes should not be hard-pressed on defense.

As for their last line of defense, Sweden has one of the best goaltenders in the world in Henrik Lundqvist. While Lundqvist has struggled more than usual with his New York Rangers this season, he can still be expected to turn in quite a performance for his home country.

Expect Sweden to be one of the top teams in Sochi. Although the Olympics can be quite unpredictable, the Swedes appear to have a very good chance at taking home a medal.