Updated B/R Roster Projection for the 2026 US Men's Olympic Hockey Team
Now that the NHL is officially returning to the Winter Olympics for the 2026 games in Milan and Cortina, it is time to start looking ahead to what a potential Team USA roster could look like.
Because our vision for the roster may not align with Team USA's, as they often tend to overthink the process and not always select their best players. The 4 Nations team, for example, did not include players like Jason Robertson or Tage Thompson on it.
Our projected 2026 roster will feature them, because the United States always loses medal round games due to a staggering lack of offense against the best teams in the world.
So let's get into it and look at what our roster would look like.
First-Line Forwards
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Jake Guentzel -- Auston Matthews -- Jack Hughes
There's no need to overthink this one. Matthews is Team USA's most productive player overall and will center the top line as long as he is in his prime for an international competition.
Jake Guentzel is still one of the best finishers and pure goal-scorers in the world, and has a knack for coming through in big games, whether it be the Stanley Cup Playoffs or in his 4 Nations appearance. He may not be the biggest or strongest player on the ice, but his hockey IQ, fearlessness around the net and finishing ability make him a legitimate top-line winger.
The only real question with Hughes is whether or not he is going to be healthy. He did not have a great showing at the 4 Nations Faceoff, but that shouldn't play a role in this roster construction. He is still one of the most talented and productive wingers in the world. He is on our team and right on our top line.
Second Line Forwards
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Brady Tkachuk -- Jack Eichel -- Matthew Tkachuk
Another line combination that does not need to be overthought. Team USA used this trio to tremendous success at the 4 Nations, and it should try it again to start the Olympics.
The Tkachuk brothers are not only two of the best players in the world, they also play a menacing physical game and two-way game that make them a force in all three zones, with and without the puck.
Eichel, meanwhile, is a franchise-level center that is a tremendous complement to Matthews as a 1-2 punch down the middle. He's been the best player on a Stanley Cup-winning team and is coming off a 94-point season in 2024-25. This could easily be Team USA's top line, or at the very least, 1B line.
Third-Line Forwards
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Jason Robertson -- Tage Thompson -- Kyle Connor
This is where we start correcting the mistakes of the 4 Nations team.
Robertson and Thompson weren't even on the team, while Connor, one of the top American-born goal-scorers and point producers, was scratched for the championship game -- which again ended with the United States losing a close, low-scoring game where one goal could have made the difference.
Robertson may not have duplicated the 109-point season he had a few years ago, but he is a consistent 30-goal, 80-point winger with vision and creative playmaking ability that should be a good fit on any team -- NHL or international.
Thompson, meanwhile, is just an absolute physical specimen due to his combination of size, speed, talent and shot. He's a 40-goal scorer with a booming slap shot that should have a home in the face-off circle on almost any power play.
He and Robertson should have been on the 4 Nations team. They should be here as well.
Fourth-Line Forwards
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Alex DeBrincat -- Dylan Larkin -- Clayton Keller
Again, we are looking for players who can score. Team USA does not need role players like Chris Kreider or Vincent Trocheck on this roster. It needs players who might be able to make a difference offensively in a close game.
Larkin slots in as a strong fourth-line center choice, while Keller and DeBrincat flank him as scoring wingers.
DeBrincat may not have great size, but he has 40-goal ability and is one of America's best finishers offensively around the net.
Keller is another top scorer that was inexplicably left off the 4 Nations team, and is coming off a 90-point season for Utah.
Montreal's Cole Caufield and Minnesota's Matt Boldy could also be potential options here, and they would still be solid choices given their offensive ability.
International teams should not be built with salary cap restraints. There is no spending limit. You do not need to sacrifice offense because you can not afford more top-line players. Just take the players that are the best and do not overthink it. In Team USA's case, keep in mind that the reason you keep losing in medal rounds is that your team can not score. Learn from that.
First-Defense Pairing
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Quinn Hughes -- Adam Fox
Hughes did not play in the 4 Nations face-off due to an injury, but should be a lock for the Olympic team as long as he is healthy. He is not only one of Team USA's best defensemen, but he is also one of the best defensemen in the entire world and an elite player.
He scores like a forward and has a better defensive game than he sometimes gets credit for having.
Fox had a tough showing in the 4 Nations and also faced criticism for his play this season with the New York Rangers, but a lot of that is just pointless noise. Fox is an elite two-way defender and would be a perfect complement to Hughes on Team USA's top defense pair.
Second-Defense Pairing
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Jaccob Slavin -- Brock Faber
This would be a tremendous second defense pairing for any team, and at times in the 4 Nations, it was the US's top defense pairing due to the absence of Hughes.
Slavin may not have the offensive upside as some other players in an international tournament as far as points are concerned, but he is a tremendous puck-mover and one of the best pure defensive players in the NHL. He is as good as it gets without the puck on his stick and can quickly transition defense back into offense.
Faber's offense took a big step backward from year one to year two with the Wild, but a lot of that was due to usage and what was asked of him while playing on a Minnesota defense that was, at times, ravaged by injuries. He still has big-time offensive upside and has progressed as a defensive player. He should be on this team with a big role.
Third-Defense Pairing
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Zach Werenski -- Charlie McAvoy
As far as third-pairing defense alignments go, this could be an outstanding one. Werenski played at a Norris Trophy level in 2024-25 and is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. The fact that he is a third-pairing defenseman on this hypothetical roster is a good testament to how far the USA depth has come in recent years.
McAvoy was limited to just 50 games during the 2024-25 season and did not have his best overall season when healthy, but he is still a top-tier defender and is already on the initial list for the 2026 roster.
John Carlson and Jake Sanderson could still be options as an defenders, while Anaheim's Jackson LaCombe has rapidly improved and developed and might play his way onto this roster. Perhaps even up into a regular role.
For now, though, we are sticking with Werenski and Sanderson in this spot.
Goalies
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Connor Hellebuyck -- Jake Oettinger -- Dustin Wolf
Hellebuyck and Oettinger are the two slam-dunk options on this roster and should be for the foreseeable future. While Hellebuyck still has to change the big-game narrative surrounding him, he is a three-time Vezina winner, the reigning league MVP and is one of the two or three best goalies in the world. He has a spot and the starting job until he has a meltdown or two in actual tournament games.
Oettinger has an exceptionally high ceiling when he is on top of his game, but has struggled with consistency over the past two years. But when he is on, there are few goalies better than him.
Wolf is the intriguing one here. Jeremy Swayman held the third goalie spot at the 4 Nations tournament, but his 2024-25 season was such a nightmare that he might have to play his way back onto it. Wolf, meanwhile, was the Calder Trophy runner-up and is a rising star at the position. He was one of the biggest reasons the Calgary Flames overachieved this past season and nearly made the playoffs.
