LAS VEGAS — We’ve assumed for some time that when Sweden’s Olympic team is announced Friday that the Minnesota Wild could have three Swedes — Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin and Filip Gustavsson — heading to Milan.

We’ve even wondered if rookie Jesper Wallstedt, one of the NHL’s best goaltenders this season, could have catapulted onto the proud country’s radar in order to join Gustavsson, his Wild partner.

But what about Marcus Johansson?

In his 16th season, the 35-year-old is playing arguably the best hockey of his career on a bargain $800,000 deal. In Monday night’s 5-2 drubbing of the banged-up Vegas Golden Knights, Johansson scored a goal and had three assists for his second four-point performance of his career. His only other one came against the Wild as a member of the Washington Capitals in March 2017.

Johansson has now scored 12 goals in 38 games — one more than he scored in each of his last two seasons — and is on an 82-game pace for a career-high 26 goals. He also has 32 points — two fewer than he had in 72 games last season — and is on an 82-game pace to shatter his career high of 69.

Johansson performed masterfully in helping Sweden win bronze medals in the past two World Championships, and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Now, he’s hoping to join his Swedish teammates, as well as Nico Sturm (Germany) and Americans Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber in Milan.

“I would love to. Hopefully I’ve shown enough. We’ll see,” Johansson said after the Wild’s ninth win in their past 11 road games. “It’s an honor to play for your country. Like I said, I’ve tried to (do) what I can to earn a spot. We’ll see.”

Wild coach John Hynes, who had Johansson in New Jersey as well, says this is the best hockey he has seen from Johansson, and he’s deserving of a spot on Team Sweden.

“I’m not the decision maker, but I think the way that he’s played to date and he’s played on other Sweden national teams — he’s gone to the World Championships numerous times, he’s played in the Olympics, and he’s playing some of his best hockey,” said Hynes, who will be one of the United States’ assistants in Italy. “Good for him, (and) I’m hoping he certainly makes it.”

Added Eriksson Ek of Johansson, who has 12 points in his past nine games, including three with at least three points, “The way he plays, I don’t think he can do a lot more than he’s doing.”

The Wild improved to 21-4-3 since Nov. 1 behind a complete effort, where they built a 5-0 lead and chased Vegas goaltender Carter Hart by the 6:51 mark of the second period.

Eriksson Ek, Boldy and Jared Spurgeon each scored a goal and added an assist, Faber also scored and Gustavsson stopped 14 of 16 shots during a pretty easy night in net against a Vegas team playing without Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Shea Theodore, and lost Tomas Hertl to a game misconduct on his first shift of the game.

“We’re up 5-0 and you can kind of relax and the guys are taking care of the hard work,” said Gustavsson, who is 9-1-2 in his past 12 starts. “You’re just standing back there and enjoying a great game of hockey.”