Updated Projection for the 2026 US Men's Olympic Hockey Team Before Orientation Camp

Team USA's Olympic Hockey Orientation Camp begins this week, with 44 players from across the NHL receiving invites.

It's a good bet that the 2026 Olympic roster will be made up primarily of players from that camp, so let's take a look at an updated roster projection.

We already know Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy have spots on the roster. It is the rest of the squad that is still up for debate.

So, let's try to predict the U.S. roster as NHL players return to the Olympics for the first time since the 2014 Games for a true best-on-best international tournament.

First-Line Forwards

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Jake Guentzel-Auston Matthews-Jack Hughes

When we last looked at our Team USA roster projection, this was the first line we had, and it remains the same.

And why wouldn't it be?

It's the perfect mix of high-end players at their natural positions: Matthews at center, and Guentzel and Hughes on the wings.

Matthews is Team USA's best offensive player, while Guentzel is one of the best pure goal-scoring wingers in the world at this point.

All three players should be locks for the roster, and they would be an ideal top line.

The only real question here is Hughes' health and whether he can stay on the ice.

Second-Line Forwards

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Brady Tkachuk-Jack Eichel-Matthew Tkachuk

Another line we are sticking with, and it would be a significant upset if this were not the combination for the Olympic team.

This group had real ice-time together at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and they should get another chance to play together at the Games. It's a perfect match of high-end talent and chemistry that could be one of the best line combinations in the tournament.

Eichel is a bona fide top-line center, while the Tkachuk brothers bring elite production on the wings, sensational two-way play and possession-driving ability as well as a special brand of chaos that comes from their physical play.

This line will not only outscore and outplay most lines, but it will also win the physical matchup at an international tournament.

Third-Line Forwards

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Jason Robertson-Tage Thompson-Kyle Connor

Team USA dropped the ball at the 4 Nations Face-Off by not including Robertson or Thompson on its roster, and not really giving Connor—one of the top goal-scorers in the world—enough ice-time. He didn't even play in the championship game as a healthy scratch.

All three of those decisions were unacceptable.

The biggest reason Team USA always fails in the medal round and against the best competition is that it never has enough offense in those games.

This would not only be an ideal third line, but it would also probably be one of the most potent third lines in the tournament outside of Team Canada.

Thompson probably helped his cause by playing at the World Championships (something that matters to the decision-makers), while also having his second 40-goal performance in the past three seasons.

Robertson has not been the 100-point, MVP-level player he was a couple of years ago, but he is still one of the most creative and talented American-born players in the league right now and should not only be a part of the roster but also be getting key playing time.

Connor should never sit out a big game. He is a 40-goal talent and the type of player who can swing a game with one shot.

Fourth-Line Forwards

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Bryan Rust-Dylan Larkin-Matthew Knies

This is the line where we are making a big change from our most recent roster projection.

Team USA is never just going to automatically take its best offensive players and is always going to want to have some size, toughness and role players somewhere on the roster.

This line would give them a good combination of all of that, while also still giving them some real scoring punch.

Rust is still a sensational two-way player, who has the ability to play in all situations.

Knies is huge (6'3", 223 lbs) and is coming off a huge year offensively and could be on the verge of an even bigger breakout season if he gets an increased role in Toronto following the departure of Mitch Marner in the offseason.

Larkin remains one of the more underrated and underappreciated players in the league.

It would be fun to think Team USA might roll with a fourth line featuring offensive talents like Alex DeBrincat, Logan Cooley and Cole Caufield, but that isn't its style. Role players, size and toughness will always have a spot on the rosters.

At least this line would give them the U.S. team of that and be an upgrade over the Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck types it always takes to major tournaments.

First-Defense Pairing

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Quinn Hughes-Charlie McAvoy

We already know Hughes and McAvoy are going to be on the roster, so we might as well put them together on the top defense pairing.

Hughes is one of the best all-around defenders in the league, and he is notably one of the best when it comes to his ability to create offense.

McAvoy may not have the same offensive ability, but he is one of the best pure defensive players in the NHL and would be a great complement to the way Hughes plays.

Hughes did not play in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, and that was a significant absence for Team USA. Getting him back for the Olympics could be a game-changer for the team.

Second-Defense Pairing

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Jaccob Slavin-Adam Fox

It might be ridiculous to say it, but Adam Fox is going to have to play his way back into a major role for Team USA.

The 27-year-old had a disappointing performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he was not at his best defensively during the NHL season. He is still a prolific offensive player and the type of defender who can run a power play, but his reputation has taken a hit over the past year.

Fox is more than capable of rebuilding that and playing his way back into a key spot, though. Team USA should be open to that and not overrate a small sample size from the 4 Nations or buy into the criticism that comes from him playing on a poor defensive team without a consistent defense partner.

Slavin, meanwhile, is going to be a lock for here. Or at least he should be.

The 31-year-old is a sensational defensive player, and even though he does not put up huge numbers offensively, he is a steady puck-mover who can quickly and efficiently get it to his forwards to keep the play moving in the right direction.

Slavin is as steady a two-way defender as you will find in the NHL right now.

Third-Defense Pairing

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Zach Werenski-Brock Faber

When healthy, Werenski is a fantastic top-pairing defender with elite offensive skills. He almost certainly will have a spot somewhere on this roster.

In time, you are probably going to see somebody like Jackson LaCombe, Lane Hutson or Luke Hughes in one of these top-six spots, but their time may not be right now.

Faber, however, seems like a good combination of youth, offense and strong defensive play to get a third-pairing spot.

His point production did take a big drop from year one to year two, but there were a lot of circumstances (specifically Minnesota's injury situation around him) that played into that, as well as him taking on a big defensive role due to a lot of those injuries.

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck-Jake Oettinger-Jeremy Swayman

This remains one of the biggest X-factor positions for Team USA, and the one that could turn them into a gold-medal contender.

No other country in the tournament has a trio of goalies with this sort of potential, with all of them having the ability to be a very good starter.

Hellebuyck, the reigning league MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner, is going to be the starter going into this process.

The 32-year-old still has to silence the doubters when it comes to his recent play in big games, but he is on the short list of best goalies in the world and can put a team on his back and carry it a long way.

Oettinger also has that potential, even if he is not as consistent at this point in his career.

Swayman had a disappointing 2024-25 season for the Boston Bruins, but he is still a very good player and should have a big advantage over the only other goalie invited to the orientation camp, Seattle Kraken netminder Joey Daccord.