Updated Projection for 2026 Canada Men's Olympic Hockey Team Before Orientation Camp
It's remarkable to think that we're just six months away from the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, and the return of NHL players to the Games.
We last saw the world's best players at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, when Canada emerged victorious.
Hockey Canada's orientation camp for the 2026 Olympics begins on Tuesday, and with 42 players in attendance, we have a good idea of who will be traveling to Milan.
Canada's 4 Nations roster made for a strong starting point for discussion, but with so much talent available, not all of the selections were easy.
We're going to take another shot at picking the roster. We already know six players who will be part of the team: Sidney Crosby, Conor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart.
The rest? Let's get into it, line by line and pair by pair.
First-Line Forwards
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Sidney Crosby-Nathan MacKinnon-Sam Reinhart
This line was so good during the Four Nations and the chemistry between Crosby and MacKinnon was dynamic.
Letting the two guys from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, school the rest of the world is fun, but having a hockey great such as Reinhart out there on the right side makes that trio near-unstoppable.
All three are brilliant players, with Crosby being so good at everything, MacKinnon being one of the fastest players in the game and Reinhart capable of scoring or setting guys up anywhere around the net; it's a grouping out of a video game.
Even after a year apart, their chemistry should return quickly—elite talent like theirs makes getting back in sync second nature.
Second-Line Forwards
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Brayden Point-Connor McDavid-Zach Hyman
The beauty of having so many great centers to pick from is that you get to make some of their lives a little easier and put them on the wing.
Brayden Point is already an elite center, but putting him on Connor McDavid's wing made them an incredible duo during the Four Nations. Now imagine what they would've done if McDavid had his own right wing with them to crash the net with Zach Hyman?
Point is an elite creator and goal-scorer, while McDavid is, arguably, on the same pedestal as Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.
Meanwhile, Hyman with McDavid has been a crushing combination in Edmonton. McDavid's brilliance with the puck, causing defenses to collapse around him, all while Hyman finds open areas around the goal and crashing in for rebounds, was something that was missing in the playoffs for the Oilers.
They weren't able to test it out at the Four Nations because of Hyman's injury, but the Olympics should offer them the opportunity.
Point and McDavid had Mark Stone with them for a lot of the Four Nations tournament, but the added threat of Hyman makes it a much more nuanced group.
Third-Line Forwards
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Mitch Marner-Mark Scheifele-Mark Stone
One of the more notable absences from Canada's Four Nations roster was Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele.
Far be it from us to be critical of Canada's choices, especially in the face of winning the Four Nations title, but not having Scheifele there seemed like a huge miss for being able to be more threatening deeper in the lineup. Since we're making the call, we're putting him in the middle on the third line.
Having Mitch Marner and Mark Stone on Scheifele's wings should make for a line that can create havoc all over the ice via the forecheck and especially in the offensive zone around the net and below the dots.
Stone is a menace all around the goal, and Marner is capable of transitioning from the forecheck to the attack in an instant with his speed and passing. Mix in Scheifele's quickness, creativity and quiet nastiness, and you've got a group that can infuriate opponents.
Marner was a third-liner for most of the Four Nations Face-Off, but playing down in a lineup like this isn't a punishment; it's just how it goes when there's so much talent.
At this stage, several players could justifiably fill these spots. The strength of Canada's depth means any of these choices would be defensible.
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Fourth-Line Forwards
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Brad Marchand-Sam Bennett-Tom Wilson
Although Anthony Cirelli could center Marchand and Wilson, Sam Bennett's style makes for a more disruptive and entertaining fourth line.
This group will forecheck relentlessly. They'll also hit everything that moves and tell you all about it. They'll also score a bunch of goals if you're not careful.
A trio of Marchand, Bennett and Wilson is a nightmare to deal with in many ways. They cause matchup issues because they will play physically and try to gain psychological advantages every shift.
That's not to say Cirelli or Seth Jarvis wouldn't be capable of that too by swapping in and out of this line or the third line, but let's be real: Whenever this trio steps on the ice, all eyes will be on them.
First-Defense Pair
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Devon Toews-Cale Makar
It's nice to be the Colorado Avalanche and have the duo of Devon Toews and Cale Makar as your top defense pairing. It's just as good for Canada, too.
Toews and Makar are elite together and a major reason why the Avalanche can score seemingly at will throughout every game. Whether it's by rushing the puck up the ice, making great passes, or just scoring the goals themselves, they get the job done better than most other defense pairings in the league.
There's no reason for Canada to mess around with the defense pairs when you've got a built-in top duo like this and a multi-time Norris Trophy winner involved.
Second-Defense Pair
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Josh Morrissey-Aaron Ekblad
It was unfortunate for Canada that Josh Morrissey missed the end of the Four Nations Face-Off because he was electrifying early on in it.
He's developed into one of the best defensemen in the NHL in Winnipeg and his all-around game gives the Jets an incredible edge when he's playing 25 minutes a night.
The right side of Canada's defense is really interesting, though. There are guys like Cale Makar and Drew Doughty who are shoo-ins, but the guys who could figure elsewhere offer a lot of possibilities.
For our argument, we're going with Aaron Ekblad this time around because of how well he played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He played with an edge and was solid in all areas. That kind of all-around competitiveness makes him a valuable counterpart for Morrissey.
Third-Defense Pairing
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Shea Theodore-Drew Doughty
This duo was Canada's third-pair defense during the Four Nations and until Shea Theodore was injured early in the tournament, they looked electric.
Before Theodore's injury at Four Nations, this pairing was outstanding. Despite playing in high-profile Vegas, Theodore remains underrated among NHL defensemen.
Doughty, on the other hand, gets some heat for his play and yet all he does is go all-out every shift to try to help his team score goals. His effort to get back from a broken ankle last year to ensure he could play for Canada showed the kind of desire he has to represent his country.
As a third-pairing defenseman on a team as deep as Canada' team's is, being able to roll out Theodore and Doughty is an incredible flex.
Goaltenders
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Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault
Many doubted Canada's goaltending depth leading up to the Four Nations, but Jordan Binnington again proved his value in high-pressure games.
Canada took the trio of Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault with them to the Four Nations and only invited them to their orientation camp this summer.
Even though Canada wasn't exactly teeming with other choices, especially after Marc-Andre Fleury retired, it wasn't about to stir things up by introducing anyone else into the mix.
Sure, Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper, or Mackenzie Blackwood would have been interesting to check out as well, but Canada's mind is seemingly made up.
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