Timrå IK

Losing your top three highest scoring forwards and your goalkeeper is definitely not the way to start your first season in the top flight of Swedish hockey after promotion. But that is the position Timrå find themselves in. The brilliant Jonathan Dahlén will be playing in the AHL, Erik Karlsson will be in Liiga and Johan Johnsson has gone to rivals, HV71.

That leaves top scorers four and five - Jeremy Boyce (pictured) and Jesper Olofsson - behind to step up into the void and show their class in the top division. The club also have retained Hungarian Vilmos Gallo, who, despite being only 22, has already played two seasons in the SHL with Linköping as well as a number of international games.

They have wisely brought in players who already have experience in the dogfight that is the bottom half of the SHL. That includes seasoned Mattias Guter from Karlskrona and Ludvig Rensfeldt from Rögle. The latter is 26 and was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.

However, perhaps their most important signing is the replacement for Henrik Haukeland, who was the best goal keeper in the HockeyAllsvenskan last year.

Niklas Svedberg comes to Timrå after five years as first-choice keeper in the AHL and then KHL as well playing in eight international matches. All this bodes well for a player who could be the difference between relegation and survival for the newcomers.

Jack Connelly (LHF)

American centre, Jack Connelly was never drafted and came to came to Sweden directly after playing University hockey where he received the coveted Hobey Baker Award for the best men's college hockey player in 2012. He has stayed here ever since playing all but one season in the top division, the SHL.

Only 173 cm he has found his niche in being a go-to points getter for teams in the lower half of the table. After six years he has gained a 0.50 Points Per Game and at Rögle BK in 2015/6 he was the team's top scorer. He has just finished four years at the Ängelholm club helping them go up from the second division and remain in the top flight. He contribution has primarily been in gaining assists scoring more than one every other match in his first three seasons at the club.

Now the 29 year old centre is moving to the other end of the country to play with Luleå HF and perhaps renewing partnership with Patrik Cehlén who was only one point behind the Canadian in that top scoring season, Connelly's best since moving to Europe.

(Incidentally, the Luleå team also contains Ryan Johnson, the 26 year old who has played for Montreal Canadiens and their AHL development team, St Johns Ice Caps who nearly made my back partnership).

Luleå will be looking for a 7-10 placement this year and will need Connelly's firepower and experience to hold off the competition and avoid the drop into a relegation scramble. It could be a player like Connelly, who has experience from that battle over the last few years, who could be key in helping Luleå stay up in the SHL.

Skellefteå AIK

Skellefteå AIK are without a doubt the most successful team in the SHL era (since 2013). Part of that success is about retaining quality players and that's what they done this year with top scorers Joakim Lindström (pictured) and Oscar Möller staying at the club. Meanwhile Pär Lindholm, the third member of last season's power trio, deservedly is getting his first ever shot at the NHL having signed a contract with Toronto Maple Leafs.

Whilst the team has lost a few players to other SHL rivals, they also have gained some players who were already in Sweden such as forwards Robin Alvarez (Malmö) and Mathis Olimb (Linköping).

In terms of new signings from outside the country, one of them is Swedish defenseman, Petter Granberg. The 25 year old is returning to his youth club after 5 years in North America where he played 258 games in the AHL with an incredible plus/ minus of +37.

On the forward's line, another new recruit is Finn, Juhamatti Aaltonen. Although the 33 year old was drafted by the St Louis Blues in 2003, he has never played on the continent instead concentrating on the Liiga and KHL. He has also played for the national team every year from 2006/7 for 10 years, at total of 88 matches.

Aaltonen joins a team that are one of my favourites to win the league this year.

Liam Reddox (VLA)

In the centre holding the Le Mat Trophy, is 32 year old Canadian left winger, Liam Reddox. He is unusual in that he played so many seasons for just one club. In fact since moving to Europe in 2011/2 he has only played for Växjö Lakers - that is every season the club have ever been in the top division, the SHL.

Reddox was drafted in 2004 by Edmonton Oilers after an impressive U18 World Championship where he scored six goals and an assist in just seven games. Between 2007/8 and 2010/11 he rotated between the Oilers in the NHL and teams in the AHL finally amassing 100 games in the top division and 186 in the lower one. Like many who have come from North America he had good stats from the AHL but could not reproduce it consistently at the higher level.

But just when Reddox seemed to he at his best in the NHL he made the surprising move to Sweden. His consistent points scoring and strong defensive capabilities make him an asset to any team and the Växjö Lakers have truly benefitted.

His best points scoring year coincided with Växjö's first ever championship win in 2014/5. The Canadian national team also took note of the 175cm tall forward's form and he played his first international matches for Team Canada since junior days that season too. The club also rewarded Reddox's contribution and he has been captain their ever since leading the team to a second championship last year.

Whilst the Canadian's role has changed, his goal scoring has gone down by half, he is a key part of manager Sam Hallam's winning recipe inspiring the players around him and doing the tough work on each shift. I cannot see the Lakers dominating as they did last year having lost so many key figures, but Reddox and Hallam have the skills to lead players to play above themselves, and, who knows, maybe even create a little but of unexpected hockey magic this season.

3. NEW PLAYERS IN THE SDHL

Swiss Sarah Forster (BIF) is one of many Olympians who are moving to be part of Europe's, and arguably the world's, best women's league.

Petra Nieminen (LHF)

Luleå is close to the Finnish border and is becoming a mecca for players from their national team. Not content with having Karvinen and Hiirokoski, they also have 19 year old back Ronja Salvolainen and 23 year old forward, Noora Tulus on the team. But this year they will be joined by yet another Olympic bronze medalist, Petra Nieminen. Only 19, she impressed in Pyeongchang, coming third in the team's internal points competition behind two veterans, Karvinen and 45 year old HV71 player Riikka Välilä.

Nieminen comes a season with Finnish club Team Kuortane in the country's top division where she was their second highest points getter. Playing alongside Karvinen might be exactly what she needs to take that next step and grow to replace her team mate as the best Finnish forward in the world today.

Chiho Osawa (LHF)

Import players from Canada, USA, England, Hungary, France, Norway, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark will be joining teams in Sweden. But a first is Japanese captain, the 26 year old forward, Chiho Osawa who will also joining Luleå. She brings with her experience from two Olympics and the World Cup plus all the extra qualifying matches that smaller hockey nations have to go through. Now she will get to play alongside some of her opponents from the recent Olympics where Japan shocked the Swedes beating them 2-1 in overtime in the knockout stages of the tournament.

The young Swedes

A final word also should go out to the young Swedes who are coming up to take over the mantle from the 2006 generation.

Two names to look out for are Maja Nyhlén Persson and Hanna Olsson.

Nyhlén Persson is only 17 but has already played four (!) seasons in the top division with Leksand IF, was U18 national captain and shone in this year's Olympics. The defender notched up four points in six games, the same as Emma Nordin, and more than Pernilla Winberg, one of the few active players left from the 2006 team. In their match against hosts Korea, 29 year old Winberg scored twice whilst the younger player scored her first ever goal at senior level. So look out for her powerful shot from the blue line this coming season.

19 year old forward Hanna Olsson is about to start her fourth season with Djurgården IF where she has just had her best points scoring season. She already has 116 points in just 89 games and has time on her side to equal Altmann's records.

Olsson has also played at U18 international level and was part of Sweden's Olympic squad. However her performance, like the rest of the team, was underwhelming. She only gained one assist and that was in the 2-1 loss to Switzerland. Olsson was the link player between Nyhlén Persson and goal scorer, Anna Borgqvist. And incidentally, Borgqvist and Nyhlén Persson will be teammates at Leksand this season.

But Olsson will have her focus on trying to repeat the 2016/7 season where Djurgården surprised everyone and took the SDHL championship. Olsson will be joined by a host of talented players from Swiss Olympian, Isabel Waidacher, Norwegian and French international players as well another young promising Swede, 20 year old Mariam El-Mahmadi.

It all adds up to an exciting new SDHL season which starts on 7 September. There will also be the first ever chance to see how Swedish and North American teams compare to each other when the Metropolitan Riveters, winners of the American National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) take on Luleå in the Champions Cup later in September.

Rögle BK

Rögle made an amazing recovery last season to go from bottom of the league at Christmas to going up three places by the end of term to easily escape the relegation play off.

Captain and top scorer Ted Brithén (above) will stay but losing their top import striker, Bryan Lerg to the NLA is a great blow. But they are trying to replace him with with Canadian Olympian Christian Thomas. Like Lerg, he has a great record in the AHL where he played 335 games with 190 points including 94 goals.

At the centre position they have recruited two established players. Firstly, American 35 year old, Matt Anderson, has moved from Skellefteå at the other end of the country to join the team from Ängelholm. The high scorer is now in his fourth season in the SHL.

Then, the return to Sweden and his youth team of Mattias Sjögren. The 30 year old has played for Sweden's national team every year since leaving Rögle in 2010. Although he has played in the AHL, KHL and NLA he has played most here in Sweden, so it is no surprise that he has signed a three year contact with the club.

The Swedish Hockey League is packed full of talented players from USA and Canada who have chosen to play out their career on European ice. Many move around between the best, or most well paid leagues, the KHL, NLA and Liiga and, of course, the SHL making the most of their short, but hopefully, eventful career.

I'm going to have make a Fantasy Team from this year's crop of North Americans playing in the SHL - two forwards, a centre, two defenseman and, naturally, one keeper. I not always chosen who I think is the best in each position, but tried to a variation of clubs, backgrounds and stories to give you a feel of the talent on offer this season.

Broc Little (LHC)

At 175cm American forward Little is indeed one of the shortest players in the SHL, but his point scoring record in the division is nothing but outstanding. In four seasons in the league he has only once scored under 45 points in the year, he has won top goal scorer and most points by a foreigner. And after year in the NLA he returns to Linköping, the club where he had greatest success on a three year contract. The club have also managed to re-sign Canadian centre, Andrew Gordon on a three year contract emphasizing the importance of have stability and quality at the core of their goal scoring aspirations.

Now 30, Little is a player who right at the start of his professional career realized that his style of play, and probably his height, would not be accepted in North America. So after four successful years playing for Yale University, he moved to Europe in 2011/2 where he has spent all but one year of his career. The extra ice space, his speed and sharp shooting have made him a threat to defenses across the continent. Last year he also had the privilege of being part of USA Hockey's Olympic team.

Little's track record means he should be challenging for top goal scorer and/ or top points scorer as Linköping aim for an automatic qualification with a top six place in regular season and a chance to play again in the Champions Hockey League where Little will be keen to put the Top Scorer shirt on again.

2. THE STAYERS

Michelle Karvinen, Jenni Hiirikoski and Emma Nordin (LHF)

One of the reasons why Luleå won the championship last season, and are my favourites to win it again, are this trio of players. Finnish forward Karvinen won Forward of the Year last year and is one of the few players who may challenge the records set by Altmann.

Luleå's and Finland's Olympic squad captain, Jenni Hiirikoski is rated as one of the best female backs in the world today. Her positioning and reading of the game make her difficult to pass. But she is also not goal-shy, posting a 1.53 PPG last season, the fifth highest points scorer in the SDHL.

Not only does Luleå have the best Finnish back and forward in their team, but the also have one of Sweden's top strikers in Emma Nordin. The 27 year old is oringinally from MODO Hockey and has won the league with both them and her current club.

She is the highest points scoring Swede in the history of the league with 304 points, was the highest scoring Swede in the league last year as well as at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

Jennifer Wakefield (BIF)

The other challenger to Altmann's records is Canadian forward, Jennifer Wakefield. She already has 144 points from just 69 games in the SDHL. She has mainly played for Linköping HC. But last year, after preparing for the Olympics with the Canadian squad all winter and then winning a Silver Medal, she launched off to arch rivals Luleå to join them for the playoffs where she helped the team take home the Gold. That makes it two Swedish national championships, one Olympic Gold, one World Cup Gold and a whole cluster of silver medals to her palmarés, making her one of the most decorated playing in the SDHL.

This year she has decided to join Brynäs IF, who are creating a team which, at its best, may challenge Wakefield's former team, Luleå. Apart from the Canadian, the club have brought in a whole raft of players including Erika Grahm, the challenger to Emma Nordin as the best Swedish forward in the league; experienced English back, Georgina Farman who has come from a four year long stint in Linköping; and Swiss Olympic defender, Sarah Forster from the top Swiss division, the SWHL A.

Mora IF

Mora survived last year when they beat local rivals, Leksand, who were trying to come up from the Hockey Allsvenskan. Unless they have a great deal of fortune, I think they could could again been in the qualification playoff to remain in the SHL.

They will lose two of their top four scorers, including David Kase, who will finally get to tryout in the AHL after being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015. However, keeper Christian Engstrand (above) who shone in the relegation playoff remains between the posts.

Joining the team on defense they have an interesting new signing in the 194 cm tall Slovakian Olympian, Marek Daloga who comes in after three years in the KHL. He's the kind of player that might put more time in the penalty box than goal scoring. But he will be joined by seasoned veteran Adam Masuhr, who at 35 will be returning to his youth club, in surely the last move of his playing career. A goalscoring defenseman, he has won the league in Sweden and Finland as well as coming from playing two seasons in the KHL.

On the front line, the new import of note might be Finn, Michael Keränen. Although never drafted he played two seasons in the AHL, mainly for Iowa Wild, where he had an impressive 0.49 PPG. Although born in Sweden this will be his first ever season here and he could well become a fans favourite at his new club.

1. THE LEAVERS

Angelica Östlund (BIF)

The 27 year old, Brynäs IF captain has decided to quit after playing in every single one of ten years of the league's existence. As well as playing 38 Swedish international matches, she holds the record for the most regular season games in the history of the league - 310. From those games she scored 116 goals and an impressive 0.80 PPG.

Denise Altmann (LHC)

The person who lies in second place in overall games played, with 306, is Austrian, Denise Altmann. However, the former Linköping HC player was a points scoring machine leading the way in Most Points, Most Goals and Most Assists in the history of the league. Now 30, she has amassed an unbelievable 539 points including 269 goals in ten years. That gives her a 1.77 PPG putting her on a par with players of the calibre of Wayne Gretzky in NHL history. She has set the records others have to break and can truly be thought of as one of greats of SDHL history.

Florence Schelling (LHC)

Linköping HC have also lost Swiss international goalkeeper, Florence Schelling, who retires at the age of 29. A disciple of former Linköping and Swedish bronze medal winning keeper, Kim Martin Hansson, Schelling has been at the club three years. In that time she has twice won Keeper of the Year and holds the best Save Percentage in the history of league with a .939 SVS% in 2017/8.

Not only that, she has played in four Olympic Games and 44 World Cup matches for her country so the Östergötland club is losing one of it's, and the league's, best players in Schelling.

For me the loss of both Altmann and Schelling is one of the reasons I believe Linköping will not be the dominant force they have been in the last few years. They will miss the enormous and irreplaceable expertise that these two players bring to both defense and attack.