With 14 hits, Nils Lundkvist was the best scorer of all backs in the SHL this season.

In total, he scored 32 points in 50 games and was awarded the Salming Trophy, the annual award for SHL's best Swedish - born defender in the regular season.

After being drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round in 2018, he chose to stay in Sweden, but now he is on an expiring contract with Luleå and reasons differently.

- It is clear that when I was 18 years old I might not have been able to dream of playing the World Cup and having two such good seasons behind me as I have now.

It has gone faster than expected, but I am very happy for the opportunities I have been given and very grateful for all the help.

"A good dialogue with Rangers"

What do you feel is the next step in your career?

- My next goal with my career is to take the step over and give it a chance in the NHL and see how far it goes.

It feels like I've got more meat on my bones and done everything I could to be ready now to give it a try.

That's probably what I'm hoping for.

Is the plan to move to the NHL next season?

- As I said, I have no contract anywhere and I have a dream of playing over there.

It feels like the situation is better now than it has been before.

How's the dialogue with the New York Rangers going?

What do they say about your progress?

- It is a good dialogue.

I have mostly talked to the player developers, but what happens next season we will take after the World Cup and my agent has full control of that.

"We'll make sure to turn this around"

Nils Lundkvist is one of 19 (!) World Cup debutants in Tre Kronor's squad in Riga.

He has distinguished himself as the team's perhaps best defender in the tournament so far and was also named the match's liar in Sweden against Belarus.

But it is a small consolation as the team has had a lousy start with losses against both Denmark and Belarus - two teams that Tre Kronor has never lost against in the World Cup context.

- To be able to play the World Cup is for me a huge milestone and a boy's dream.

I have watched the World Cup all these years, so being able to be here now is a huge honor.

- Of course, this is not the situation that we as a team had hoped to be in with two cod, but it is fantastic fun to be here despite the fact that we have played half bad these two matches.

Now there is only one way and it is forward so we will make sure to turn this around, says Lundkvist.

Tonight, the toughest task so far awaits Tre Kronor when they face Switzerland.

Watch the match on SVT2.

Drop-off is at 19.15.