Olympics: 2026 Roster predictions

[SOLR]

That Top 6 is just stacked even with a 38 year old Crosby. Only change I would make would be Fantilli > Suzuki. Although we don't know how well Bedard, Celebrini or Fantilli will develop yet, but that's the problem with predicting rosters for a tournament that is 3 yrs. away.

My D-Pairings:

Toews-Makar
Byram-Morrisey
Pelech-Dobson
Power-Theodore

Lol Fantilli over Suzuki. I don't think Fantilli will be remotely in the picture for these Olympics.

 

[member 305909]

No no. None of that different name, different flag-bullshit. Banned means banned.

 

[Albatros]

They would just take the place of where the “normal Russia” was when the ban was imposed. They represent Anti-War Russians. Like I said before, they don’t want to make that public because the m or their families could get into trouble since it is communist.

Playing for Team Anti-War Russians at the Olympics would be quite the outcoming for them and their families if that's the case.

 

[centipede2233]

Team USA is STACKED at every position.

B.Tkachuk ----- A.Matthews ----- M.Tkachuk
J.Robertson --- J.Hughes --------T.Thompson
K. Connor ----- J. Eichel ----------C. Keller
T. Zegras-------D. Larkin--------C. Caufield
Extras: Matty Berniers, Matthew Boldy

D1: Slavin-Fox
D2: Hughes-McAvoy
D3: Weresnki-Pesce
D4: Sanderson-K'Andre Miller

Helleybuck
Otteinger
Demko

It's crazy leaving off guys like Gauderau, Debrincat, Tuch, Guentzel and J.T Miller

I’d swap out zegras, Canfield and Larkin for JT Miller, Tuch and gaudreau. Team USA has enough game breaking goal scorers, they don’t need caufield. JT Miller and Tuch would be perfect 4th line guys giving them different caliber of players. Gaudreau is a playmaker to help feed the goal scorers.

 

[Nucks2001]

I’d swap out zegras, Canfield and Larkin for JT Miller, Tuch and gaudreau. Team USA has enough game breaking goal scorers, they don’t need caufield. JT Miller and Tuch would be perfect 4th line guys giving them different caliber of players. Gaudreau is a playmaker to help feed the goal scorers.

Larkin is the best defensive player in the bottom 6 so he should definitely be there. And yea, Zegras and Caufield are easily swappable with guys like Tuch, Gauderau and JT Miller. I was just thinking 2026, but Tuch and Gauderau would still be viable options by then as well. As of now, I would take all 3 of the guys you mentioned over the young guns.

 

[THE JAM]

The only way that russia might participate in 2026 is if: putin has died, an international war crimes trial has been set and the russians that want to participate have not been putin supporters (unlike AO #8, who openly has been supporting him)

 

[Jez McLen]

For the US I made 2 rosters - one of the players I would select today and from there a roster that projects the progress/regression of some players and who I would expect to be ready for best-on-best come winter 2026:

Today's roster:
Roberston - Matthews - M.Tkachuk
B.Tkachuk - J.Hughes - Thompson
Keller - Eichel - Tuch
Guentzel - Larkin - J.T. Miller
Extras: Gaudreau, Connor

Slavin - Fox
Q.Hughes - McAvoy
Werenski - Pesce
Extras: Hanifin, K.Miller

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman

2026's roster:
Roberston - Matthews - M.Tkachuk
Cooley - J.Hughes - Thompson
B.Tkachuk - Eichel - Boldy
Larkin - Beniers - Tuch
Extras: Keller, Hagens

Slavin - Fox
Q.Hughes - McAvoy
Sanderson - K.Miller
Extras: L.Hughes, Werenski

Oettinger
Hellebuyck
Demko

I tried to keep it balanced without overloading on one dimensional snipers like Caufield or DeBrincat as the team already has a bunch of 40+ goals scorers (Thompson given his defensive rating can be considered one-dimensional). I could see the US taking Zegras instead of Keller/Hagens (who is the wild card) if he shows growth on the defensive side over the next 36 months.

 

[kiwi51]

I'm interested to know who will be in net for Canada in 2026 if we go to Olymipcs?

 

[Mathieukferland]

I'm interested to know who will be in net for Canada in 2026 if we go to Olymipcs?

Some guy
Some other guy

 

[Lartsaman]

I'm interested to know who will be in net for Canada in 2026 if we go to Olymipcs?

Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Devon Levi
Stuart Skinner
Tristan Jarry
Logan Thompson

Pick your favourite.

 

[ORRFForever]

Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Devon Levi
Stuart Skinner
Tristan Jarry
Logan Thompson

Pick your favourite.

Lots of good options. No great ones. No obvious pick.

 

[Nucks2001]

Lots of good options. No great ones. No obvious pick.

Samuel Montemeault deserves a mention

 

[mphmiles]

For the US I made 2 rosters - one of the players I would select today and from there a roster that projects the progress/regression of some players and who I would expect to be ready for best-on-best come winter 2026:

Today's roster:
Roberston - Matthews - M.Tkachuk
B.Tkachuk - J.Hughes - Thompson
Keller - Eichel - Tuch
Guentzel - Larkin - J.T. Miller
Extras: Gaudreau, Connor

Slavin - Fox
Q.Hughes - McAvoy
Werenski - Pesce
Extras: Hanifin, K.Miller

Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman

2026's roster:
Roberston - Matthews - M.Tkachuk
Cooley - J.Hughes - Thompson
B.Tkachuk - Eichel - Boldy
Larkin - Beniers - Tuch
Extras: Keller, Hagens

Slavin - Fox
Q.Hughes - McAvoy
Sanderson - K.Miller
Extras: L.Hughes, Werenski

Oettinger
Hellebuyck
Demko

I tried to keep it balanced without overloading on one dimensional snipers like Caufield or DeBrincat as the team already has a bunch of 40+ goals scorers (Thompson given his defensive rating can be considered one-dimensional). I could see the US taking Zegras instead of Keller/Hagens (who is the wild card) if he shows growth on the defensive side over the next 36 months.

Pretty close to what I would go with for 2026. The one change I would make is I think I’m bringing Brandon Carlo. (At least as an extra) There’s a ton of offensive talent on the US blue line already, and other than Slavin, I think he’s the best “defensive” defenseman the US has.

Miller could continue to develop for another couple years, though.

 

[Miro4Norris]

Golden generation ready to claim their gold:

Kakko-Hintz-Rantanen
Maccelli-Aho-Laine
Lundell-Barkov-Kemell/X
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Pärssinen

X: Teräväinen, Lambert, Tolvanen, Luostarinen.

Heiskanen-Mikkola
Lindell-Välimäki
Kiviharju-X2
Heinola-Ristolainen(I think he had a solid season and is finally trending upwards)

X2:Hakanpää/Jokiharju/Niemeläinen

Saros
Husso/Korpisalo

PP1.
Barkov
Hintz Rantanen
Laine Heiskanen

 

[Nucks2001]

Golden generation ready to claim their gold:

Kakko-Hintz-Rantanen
Maccelli-Aho-Laine
Lundell-Barkov-Kemell/X
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Pärssinen

X: Teräväinen, Lambert, Tolvanen, Luostarinen.

Heiskanen-Mikkola
Lindell-Välimäki
Kiviharju-X2
Heinola-Ristolainen(I think he had a solid season and is finally trending upwards)

X2:Hakanpää/Jokiharju/Niemeläinen

Saros
Husso/Korpisalo

PP1.
Barkov
Hintz Rantanen
Laine Heiskanen

Gonna be so hard to score on this team when you have Hintz, Aho, Barkov and Heiskanen calculating everything in their backend. Not to mention, the man that stands on his HEAD in Nashville, Juuse Saros in the crease.

 

[krutais23]

Hey guys, as of now are the Junior Canada 2018 team players allowed to play for Canada? Makar, Kyrou, etc..

 

[Czechboy]

Hey guys, as of now are the Junior Canada 2018 team players allowed to play for Canada? Makar, Kyrou, etc..

As of now, those players are banned to my knowledge. All of them until names are named. I could be wrong though.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The hypothetical USA roster would have a lot of tough (in a good way) choices to make.

Maybe players will actually go to the Prague/Stockholm World Championships to make their case. A lot of productive players would be left at home the way it's shaping up for '26.

 

[ORRFForever]

Hey guys, as of now are the Junior Canada 2018 team players allowed to play for Canada? Makar, Kyrou, etc..

Not yet.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Makar is known innocent. The bad apples (formenton, maybe comtois) shouldn’t prevent Makar from playing for his country in the Olympics.

 

[ORRFForever]

Makar is known innocent. The bad apples (formenton, maybe comtois) shouldn’t prevent Makar from playing for his country in the Olympics.

I agree.

 

[Nucks2001]

Not a lot of people talking about Carter Hart. He was also on the 2018 WJC team and is the only longshot of a saviour that Canada has in net.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Not a lot of people talking about Carter Hart. He was also on the 2018 WJC team and is the only longshot of a saviour that Canada has in net.

Canada in net is a volume play. There’s enough nhl goalies, just need one that’s playing pretty well at the time. It’d be nice to have next generation Patrick Roy there but in reality they will go with whomever they got and it’ll be more likely fine (or a convenient scapegoat if they get beat)

 

[Nucks2001]

Canada in net is a volume play. There’s enough nhl goalies, just need one that’s playing pretty well at the time. It’d be nice to have next generation Patrick Roy there but in reality they will go with whomever they got and it’ll be more likely fine (or a convenient scapegoat if they get beat)

True. Canada just seriously Lags behind some of the other countries. The 3-headed monster of Russia (Vasi, Shersterkin, Sorokim), Finland has Saros and Husso, Sweden has Ullmark, Gustavsson and Markstrom. USA will pass Canada in Volume within the next 10 years.

 

[Nucks2001]

Wow. Mason McTavish looks unreal to start this season. Young, skilled and big player that plays a two-way game. I say he fills in that 4th line Centre spot pretty nicely, behind McDavid, Crosby and Point. Assuming MacKinnon plays Wing.