Ranking the Top 25 Players at the 2026 Men's Hockey Olympics Tournament
We have already ranked the rosters of Team USA and Team Canada for the 2026 men's Olympic hockey tournament. Now it's time to try to figure out the top 25 players overall in the event.
While the U.S. and Canada have two of the best rosters at the Winter Games, many other teams have high-end talent that should be recognized.
So, let's take a look at the top 25 players heading into the tournament starting Wednesday morning.
Rankings are not necessarily based on full career accomplishments, but on what each player is doing and is capable of right now, this season, and in this tournament.
25. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning (Canada)
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The Lightning have hit a lot of home runs when it comes to their roster moves, and getting Hagel from the Chicago Blackhawks a few years ago was a significant one.
He has become not only a core player for the Lightning but also one of the better two-way forwards in the NHL. He defends, he kills penalties, he is a point-per-game player offensively, and he is still only 27 years old and in the prime of his career.
Chicago came away with two first-round draft picks in that trade, which eventually led to Oliver Moore and Sacha Boisvert. They'd better become good NHL players to make it worth it, because Hagel is somebody who could still be contributing there right now, and for the foreseeable future.
He opened practice with Canada skating on the fourth line alongside Bo Horvat and Sam Reinhart. The fact that the team's fourth line is that strong is a testament to how absurd its forward depth is.
Hagel and Reinhart are simply two of the best two-way forwards in the league.
24. Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings (Sweden)
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The Yzer-plan is finally starting to show some signs of coming together in Detroit, and players like Lucas Raymond at the top of the lineup are a big reason why.
Raymond has blossomed into one of the NHL's better playmakers and has really broken out offensively over the past couple of seasons.
Sweden does not have some of the megastar forwards that Canada and the United States have, but they are clearly a top-three team in the tournament and will be very formidable contenders. Raymond is going to play a big role in that.
He will reportedly be skating on Sweden's second line alongside Elias Lindholm and Jesper Bratt.
23. Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights (Canada)
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Marner was such a scapegoat for so many of Toronto's problems that it sort of made him underrated. He is an elite scoring winger and a much better defensive player than he is given credit for.
He is going to open on a line with teammate Mark Stone and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, who is listed as Canada's third line.
In 209 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey together, the Marner-Stone duo has outscored teams by a 13-8 margin this season and owned a 61.5 percent expected goals share.
They obviously have some good chemistry together, and now they get to skate around with arguably a top-five player in NHL history at the Olympics.
22. Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche (Czechia)
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Trading Mikko Rantanen midseason in 2024-25 was a bold move by the Avalanche, but it has worked out fairly well.
Rather than risk losing Rantanen for nothing, the Avalanche managed to come away with another top-line player in the prime of his career in Necas, and he has turned out to be a sensational fit with Colorado.
The 27-year-old has been a point-per-game player since joining the Avalanche and become a core player for a team that has been the NHL's best this season.
Czechia is not as deep as the top powers in the tournament, but it has solid goaltending and a handful of high-end forwards at the top of the lineup.
Necas is one of them.
21. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers (Canada)
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He may never score 57 goals again, but even if he doesn't, he is still one of the league's best two-way forwards. A point-per-game player who is a top-five Selke vote-getter every year is a wildly valuable player to have.
He is great for the Panthers; he will be great for Canada. He is part of the aforementioned fourth line with Horvat and Hagel. That could be a first- or second-line option for a lot of teams in this thing.
20. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (USA)
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As recently as two years ago, Matthews would not only have been in the top 10 on this list, but probably in the top 5. But he simply has not been that same player since the start of the 2024-25 season.
He has by no means been a bad player. He is still excellent.
The fact that we are looking at 30-40 goal seasons for him as "down" years is a testament to what he has done in the NHL. But both the Maple Leafs and Team USA need him to get back to being the 50-60 goal-scorer he has been for so long if either one of them is going to win anything.
19. Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning (USA)
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Guentzel is not the biggest, fastest, or strongest player, and he does not have the best shot. But he is smart and knows where to be.
He is fearless in going to the front of the net and the tough areas. He is clutch, he can finish, and he is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the league.
18. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes (Finland)
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Finland does not always have the best star power or the biggest names, but it has a seemingly endless supply of outstanding two-way players who form a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Aho is one of the best in that regard, as a top-line scorer and an elite possession driver.
Finland might not win gold, but it will be an extraordinarily tough out. Players like Aho are a big part of the reason why.
17. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets (USA)
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Of all the staggering things the United States team did at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with this roster, Connor being a healthy scratch for the championship game is one of the more baffling. Only 11 players have scored more goals than his 178 since the start of the 2021-22 season.
He needs to play.
They need finishers.
He is one of the best in the tournament.
16. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs (Sweden)
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The big question here is Nylander's status. He has played just 40 games this season and was not available for practice earlier this week.
If he does not play, that is a huge problem for a potential gold medal favorite.
If he does play, he is one of the best players in the tournament.
Not only is Nylander a gifted playmaker, but he has also scored at least 40 goals in each of the past three seasons and is on pace for 37 goals and 106 points over 82 games. In terms of total point production on a per-game basis, this is his best season in the NHL.
15. Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings (Germany)
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The Germans may not have the best team at the Winter Olympics, but they have enough top-tier players to cause problems for any team that plays them.
Seider is one of the best players on the roster and should be a Norris Trophy front-runner this season, perhaps even a sleeper MVP candidate.
When he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play, the Red Wings play like a Stanley Cup contender, outscoring teams by a 48-36 margin with a 56.6 expected goals share. He has done that while also getting heavy defensive zone starts and consistently playing against the other team's best players.
When he is not on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Red Wings are being outscored by a 51-78 margin with a 46.0 percent expected goals share. He is one of the biggest reasons their playoff drought is likely to come to an end this season.
14. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres (Sweden)
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Sweden might have the top defensive unit in the tournament from top-to-bottom. Not only in terms of depth, but also in elite skill. Dahlin is currently the best of that group and is having another masterful season with the Buffalo Sabres. This time, he is getting more attention for it because the team is actually winning games around him.
Sweden is one of the top favorites for gold, and the presence of players like Dahlin on their blue line is a big reason why.
13. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (USA)
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It is truly incredible how much Werenski's game and production have taken off over the past two years. After scoring 23 goals with 82 points in 81 games a year ago, he is on pace for 31 goals and 98 points this season.
If he maintains that pace, it would be one of the greatest offensive seasons ever for an NHL defenseman. The U.S. has a really strong defense with some elite puck-movers, and Werenski is one of them.
12. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers (USA)
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Tkachuk is an MVP-caliber scorer and a Hall of Fame-caliber agitator. You love him when he plays on your team; you hate him when he does not. It might be the highest compliment you can pay to an NHL player.
He scores, he defends, he drives possession, and he will get you off your game and cause chaos.
The only question regarding him this season is his health, as he has played in only 10 games and is just getting himself back into the lineup. Even so, he has still been outstanding for the Panthers.
He just needs to remember he cannot fight here; otherwise, he will be automatically ejected from matches. There can be no message-sending fights at the opening faceoff.
11. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights (USA)
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With Matthews' production slipping a little bit, Eichel gets the title of top center on the United States roster. He is also deserving of that title. He is having a career year offensively (building on what was a career year a season ago) and has turned himself into a top-notch defensive player without sacrificing any offense. Not only has he not sacrificed any offense to do it, but he has also improved his offense.
He is skating between the Tkachuk brothers (Matthew and Brady) on a line that can outscore you and out-hit you.
Eichel has already been the best player on a Stanley Cup-winning team, and now he is looking to add an Olympic gold medal to his resume.
10. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (Canada)
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Crosby has already put together one of the greatest careers in NHL history and has a chance to win his third Olympic gold to match his three Stanley Cup championships.
He can still score, he can still outwork everybody, he can still outthink everybody, and he still has the vision and the hands and the playmaking. His defensive game has slid a little bit in recent years, but he can still take over a game.
9. Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks (Canada)
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There was some debate over whether Celebrini would make the roster, given that he is only 19 and in his second year in the league. But any debate or discussion surrounding that was absurd. He not only belongs here, but he is also one of the best players in hockey. Not one of the best young players. One of the best players. Period.
He is already one of the most impactful players in hockey and has a strong MVP case. He is an elite scorer and an advanced defensive player for his age. He also looks like he is going to get a top-line role at the Olympics.
8. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (USA)
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Did the United States make some questionable roster decisions? They sure did. Could those decisions end up hurting their chances to win gold? Absolutely, they could.
But it is still a great roster, and one of its biggest strengths is the ultimate game-changer in hockey -- goaltending.
Team USA might have the best goaltending trio in the tournament, and Hellebuyck is the obvious starter at this point. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the reigning league MVP. He is the best goalie in the tournament, and there might not be many close to him.
7. Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild (USA)
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Hughes is not only one of the best defensemen in the league, but he has also become the top player on the United States roster. A ridiculously smooth skater with incredible vision and playmaking ability from the blue line.
He has already won the Norris Trophy, will likely win another in his career, and has helped make the Minnesota Wild a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season.
He will also help make Team USA a legitimate gold medal contender.
6. Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars (Finland)
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You can never count out Finland in these tournaments because it always has so many good two-way players and plays such a sound, structured game.
The team will wear you down, bore you, and then pounce on your mistakes. It has all of that once again in 2026.
But the Finns also have a legitimate superstar in Rantanen, who is one of the top players in the tournament.
In 54 games this season with the Stars, he has already scored 20 goals with 49 assists and 69 total points. He is a difference-maker, and he helps make Finland an even tougher opponent.
5. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (Czechia)
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Pastrnak has reached a point where you can pencil him in for 40 goals and 100 points every season. He is one of the best offensive players in the league, and gives the Czechs a cornerstone player that can, and will, command major attention from every team they play.
Goaltending is Czechia's main strength, but having a goal-scorer and offensive player like Pastrnak can help put them in medal contention.
4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Germany)
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Germany should not be expected to medal, but the trio of Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, and Moritz Seider will give them a chance to compete.
That will especially be true if Philipp Grubauer's goaltending performance this season carries over from the NHL to the Olympics.
The German team has one of the better-performing goalies in the tournament, a legitimate No. 1 defenseman in Seider, another top-line forward in Stützle, and an MVP-contender in Draisaitl.
That is a lot of elite talent on a team that never really has big expectations in these tournaments.
3. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche (Canada)
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Makar is one of the best offensive-defensemen the NHL has ever seen, and he seemingly keeps getting better the further into his prime he gets. He is an annual finalist for the Norris Trophy and scores like a top-line, All-Star forward.
There is no other defenseman like him anywhere in the NHL or the world right now. There have not been many like him ever in the NHL.
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (Canada)
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MacKinnon is one of the most dominant players in the world, with his blinding speed and rocket of a shot.
He is also ferocious in terms of competitiveness and focus, and he has made it very clear he is not in Italy to enjoy the sights or festivities around the Olympics. He is there to win gold himself and for his country.
He is going to be a front-runner for the NHL MVP, as he normally is, and right there with Connor McDavid for the NHL's scoring title.
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (Canada)
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Canada does not just have incredible depth, especially at forward; it also has the literal best players in the world. The three-best players, to be exact. Everything MacKinnon does, McDavid does just as well, if not better.
As long as he plays a full season, you know he is going to be at least in the running for the scoring title and MVP award, and he is once again this season. He is still looking for his first Stanley Cup, but he has a real chance to win his first major team title with a gold medal at the Olympics.
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