Sorting Staff Canada’s participant choices for the 2026 Olympics into tiers

In late August of this previous summer time, Canada’s males’s hockey program gathered 42 NHL gamers for an orientation camp making ready for the Milan/Cortina Olympics in 2026. These video games are sneaking up on us, and although lists haven’t leaked, the groups have lately needed to file a preliminary roster of — not so coincidentally — 42 gamers and 5 goalies that they’ve on their radar to carry. 

Utilizing these 42 names they’d at camp (and a half-dozen others who didn’t get included for varied causes), I took my first stab on the form of Canada’s upcoming males’s Olympic hockey workforce. It’s not so simple as simply sending again the 4 Nations squad, as so much can change over a full calendar yr, and also you need to get higher. 

I’ve sorted these names under (with some extra ones peppered in) into six tiers as I see them only a couple weeks into October, with most groups having about 5 video games underneath their belts.  

The enjoyable half: whenever you pile collectively the “locks” with my “very likelys” and “probables,” you get one goalie, seven D, and 12 forwards. You don’t want rather more than that, although I’m positive I’ve missed a pair, and there’ll be a number of accidents alongside the way in which. Let’s have a look. 

Locks 

Very Seemingly  

My inside debates had been as follows: 

Does Colton Parayko have sufficient left within the tank to be as beneficial as he was to Canada on the 4 Nations Face-Off? (I self answered “very possible.”) 

Is Mark Scheifele actually past “possible” all the way in which into “very possible”? I concluded sure, as this man ought to’ve been there on the 4 Nations. With a number of different forwards struggling for traction, the door is extensive open for them to proper that fallacious. He’s a proud Canadian, an elite offensive creator and a livid competitor, so whereas possibly it’s loads of my very own opinion on that one, he nonetheless will get listed manner up right here.

Reinhart and Marner need to deal with new environments this season, what with the Panthers sniper having to hold a workforce with huge accidents, and the previous Leaf making an attempt to suit into a brand new state of affairs in Vegas. However each are lots succesful and had been important elements of the win only a yr in the past. They’ll be there. 

Possible 

Bennett checks each conceivable “intangibles” field, scored the large tying objective in opposition to the USA within the 4 Nations, gained yet one more Cup, and so yeah — he’s someplace between possible and really possible. However he’s nonetheless solely a 40-45 level offensive producer sometimes, and occurs to be off to an atrocious begin in his first six video games, at the very least statistically. He’s acquired only one level and is an NHL-worst minus-nine on the time of writing, so I’m just a bit much less bullish on him than a number of others. 

Sanheim and Theodore made it the final time, and it’s robust to see why they’d fall out of favour this time. Sanheim confirmed properly on the 4 Nations, and whereas Theodore’s damage there was a bummer, it doesn’t harm him in any respect. He’ll be quarterbacking an important workforce there in Vegas and can grade out properly once more this yr. 

The one new addition to the checklist right here is Nick Suzuki, who caught red-hot fireplace after the 4 Nations final season, scoring nothing however massive objectives for the Habs, main them to the playoffs. At 26 years outdated, after an 89-point season, he’s nearer to “very possible” than the checklist under. 

Perhaps? 

Oh boy. I discussed the numbers of the above lists mixed, properly, they depart possibly two to 3 ahead spots and one to 2 D spots. As for goalies, properly, that’s a free-for-all. 

So, it’s kinda Royal Rumble from right here. 

Noteworthy is the Connor Bedard vs. Macklin Celebrini battle. Each had comparable stat strains final yr, each are tremendous younger, and each may take the kinds of loopy leaps this yr that pressure Canada’s hand. Bedard, specifically, seems to be far, much better thus far this season (notably in puck battle-related stats). You’d hate to go away him off proper as he’s discovered an elite recreation, and all with out taking part in with different elite gamers. If he had top-quality linemates, would he unlock the very best model of himself ever, on the precise proper time?

Brad Marchand is on the checklist, as he was Canada’s least-used ahead on the 4 Nations (11:35 per recreation), and one assumes one other yr of ageing hasn’t made him quicker. However some persons are simply winners, as evidenced by his 20-point playoff run en path to his second Stanley Cup. He’s off to an excellent begin thus far, too, and simply isn’t a man you ever need to wager in opposition to. He’s acquired management and coronary heart and retains issues gentle. If it’s between him and a few of these different guys, it’s most likely him. 

Does Mark Stone keep wholesome and have sufficient within the tank? Identical query for Zach Hyman, who’s not far faraway from tallying large objective totals. I do know Robert Thomas is a favorite of Doug Armstrong. Would an excellent run get him a spot? Would they bring about Tom Wilson to offer a distinct aspect?  

That is your “show it” class. 

I don’t really feel the necessity to say a lot concerning the goalies, as previous Binnington and the entire “coronary heart of a champion” factor he appears to have, it’s actually anybody’s ballgame. Play properly and also you get to go, easy as that. 

Outdoors Shot 

This group wants so much to interrupt proper, specifically: a red-hot begin to the season, a few accidents, and maybe a necessity that aligns completely with their explicit talent set. Konecny could deserve higher than this tier after making the workforce final yr, however it’s only a matter of numbers and the encircling expertise. He was their least-used ahead at 4 Nations, and have a look at the “possibly” checklist above of men vying for the ultimate spots. He’s possibly nearer to that group than this one, however he’s in robust, and it simply feels just like the momentum belongs to others proper now. 

No Cheap Likelihood 

I’ll reiterate the above: the under shouldn’t be a listing of “guys I don’t suppose are good.” It is a checklist of men — nice gamers! — the place it’s simply robust to see how they leapfrog what are about 10 potential names forward of them, for most often, only a spot or two.  

On the backside, you’ll discover a goalie tacked on. That might be Logan Thompson, whom it appears the brass of Staff Canada simply doesn’t imagine in as a match for no matter cause, irrespective of how he performs. I can’t clarify that, however I get the sense they don’t belief him. 

The one outlier on the checklist could also be Noah Dobson, who’s nonetheless younger sufficient to get higher and climb in Canada’s eyes. However as of proper now, he’s not taking the offensive alternatives from the elite offensive D (like Cale Makar), and isn’t adequate on the D-side but to deal with that function, so the match doesn’t work. In case you wished a man like him, you’d take Evan Bouchard first anyway. 

All informed, listed below are the gamers whenever you smack collectively the highest three tiers: 

Goalies (1) 

Jordan Binnington 

Defencemen (7) 

Cale Makar 
Thomas Harley 
Josh Morrissey 
Colton Parayko 
Devon Toews 
Travis Sanheim 
Shea Theodore 

Forwards (12) 

Sidney Crosby 
Nathan MacKinnon 
Connor McDavid 
Brayden Level 
Sam Reinhart 
Brandon Hagel 
Mitch Marner 
Mark Scheifele 
Sam Bennett 
Seth Jarvis 
Nick Suzuki 
Anthony Cirelli 

Not too shabby.  

We’ve seen a really comparable group have success lately, and it’s robust to see this identical one as any much less able to doing the identical. Now, time to sit down again and see how the following couple of months of NHL motion influence what, for now, seems to be like an awfully stacked roster. 

Extra from Sportsnet

Stamkos eyes bounce again, Olympics consideration: ‘Could be a dream come true’

Board of Governors Pocket book: Time working out to check Olympic enviornment