The 2026 Olympic Winter Games aren’t all that far away, and with the elite NHL talent we’re going to see in the Games, hockey fans are in for a treat.

But before we get there, it’s a great time to post THN.com’s projected rosters for the main teams in contention for Olympic gold. We’re starting a multi-part series today by breaking down what could turn out to be Canada’s heavily-favorited team, followed by Team USA, Team Sweden and Team Finland.

These picks aren’t 100 percent locks to make the 24-man Canadian roster, but rather, they’re to give readers an idea of what Canada’s team is likely to look like. Onward, we go:

Team Canada Projected Roster

Forwards: Nathan MacKinnon (C), Connor McDavid (C), Sam Bennett (C), Anthony Cirelli (C), Sidney Crosby (LW), Brayden Point (LW) Brandon Hagel (LW), Brad Marchand (LW), Mark Stone (RW), Mitch Marner (RW), Sam Reinhart (RW), Mark Scheifele (RW)

Extras: Travis Konecny (RW), Connor Bedard (C) 

The Breakdown: It’s an embarrassment of riches up front for the Canadian team – so much so that Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby is playing on the left wing in our projections. But with pure elite skill in Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, and grit and solid two-way play in Florida’s Sam Bennett and Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli, Canada’s group of centers is the best of any Olympic squad.

Meanwhile, on the wings, we’re projecting Canada to have a slew of veterans who were part of Canada’s winning team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with two exceptions – Winnipeg star center Mark Scheifele and Chicago rising superstar Connor Bedard. You could’ve gone any number of ways for the wing position – we’re leaving out Carolina’s Seth Jarvis, St. Louis’ Robert Thomas and Toronto’s John Tavares – but we’ve got a terrific balance here of grinders (Florida’s Brad Marchand, Vegas’ Mark Stone) and slick offensive dynamos (Vegas’ Mitch Marner, Tampa’s Brayden Point). 

All things considered, the Canadian forwards are the class of the next Olympics, and any team that intends on winning gold will have to figure out how to defend against Canada’s relentless attack.

Defensemen: Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Drew Doughty, Thomas Harley

Extras: Evan Bouchard, Shea Theodore 

The Breakdown: Again, Canada’s depth at this position is, alongside Team U.S.A.’s defense corps, the class of the next Games. The Canadian blueline has the best D-man on earth in Cale Makar, his partner in Colorado in Devon Toews, a physical second-pairing of Blues veteran Colton Parayko and Philadelphia’s Travis Sanehim, and veteran L.A. Kings star Drew Doughty and Dallas Stars youngster Thomas Harley on the third pair.

As backups, there’s Oilers elite puck-mover Evan Bouchard and Vegas’ two-way menace Shea Theodore filling out the Canadian squad. And we’ve left off Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey in a very tough decision. If there are injuries on the back end for Canada, Morrissey should be the first to replace them. But all-in-all, Canada’s defensemen are first-rate puck-movers, trustworthy defenders in their own end, and proven winners at one level or another.

How a 25-And-Under Tournament Can Save NHL All-Star Weekend After the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off as an All-Star Game replacement, it is hard to imagine the NHL ever going back to its regularly scheduled all-star weekend festivities that have fans and players alike growing increasingly uninterested.

Goaltenders: Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Samuel Montembeault

The Breakdown: Canada’s goaltending is fairly straightforward, even if it is the Canadian team’s weakest spot. Until something major plays out – an injury, or sub-par play – the Canadian starting goaltender will be Blues star Jordan Binnington, who elevated his play to stymie Canada’s opponents at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Binnington bent, but never broke, at the 4 Nations tournament, and he’s earned the right to start the Olympics as Canada’s main man between the pipes.

Backing up Binnington is Stanley Cup-winner Adin Hill of the Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault. Depth here is crucial for Canada, but if Hill or Montembeault sees any action, it will mean that Binnington has failed to deliver on his end of things. However, so long as Binnington is healthy, he’ll be providing the feistiness and experience that Canadian management is looking for in a starting netminder.

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