Multiple notable players have been dealing with injuries as we inch closer to the Dec. 31 deadline for nations to submit their 2026 Olympic rosters. Here are three players who can fill in for those who are dealing with injuries.
With the 2026 Winter Olympics approaching fast, some players are already at risk of finding themselves off the roster due to being struck by the injury bug.
Connor Bedard has been sidelined with a separated shoulder and is to be re-evaluated in January, causing harm to his bid to make Team Canada.
Darcy Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last year and has continued his strong play this year, was placed on injured reserve after a hit to the head.
Matthew Tkachuk's timeline to return is also still anything but certain, with the Florida Panthers recently stating they "don’t know" if he will be back for the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.
And although Jack Hughes was seen on the ice with a stick for the first time since his injury, New Jersey Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said he's still not close to joining the group.
With that said, here are three players who could make good substitutions on the North American teams should these injured players find themselves unable to participate.
Morgan Geekie, C/RW, Boston Bruins
With Canada’s stacked forward depth, Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie could probably never have dreamt of making Canada’s Olympic squad, and many still think he probably won’t.
But, with Bedard’s status in question following his upper-body injury, it would be difficult to find a more apples-to-apples replacement than Geekie in terms of goal-scoring abilities.
Geekie has been on pace for several career highs and currently finds himself second on the goalscoring leaderboard behind only superstar center Nathan MacKinnon.
Geekie has 24 goals in 35 contests and is on pace for 56 goals, after scoring 33 last year. The 27-year-old also boasts an absurd 27.9 shooting percentage, compared to MacKinnon’s 17.8.
Though some of these stats probably aren’t sustainable, Geekie’s goal-scoring touch could do nicely for Team Canada if Bedard is unavailable. Geekie can slot in both at center and on the wing.
Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Colorado Avalanche
Although Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was already included in The Hockey News’ projected Team Canada roster, Darcy Kuemper has been just as solid and has a Stanley Cup champion and a Vezina finalist on his resume. However, with Kuemper’s injury threatening his status, it turns out Blackwood might actually have a place on the roster after all.
Wedgewood Or Blackwood: Why Canada Should Take Both Avalanche Goalies To The Olympics
Among those who have made at least five starts this year, Colorado's Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood are leading all Canadian goalies in almost every category you can think of.
It’s difficult to envision Blackwood leapfrogging 4 Nations Face-Off hero Jordan Binnington and possibly even Logan Thompson and his .924 save percentage. But it’s hard to feel bad about a team that has Blackwood as its third option in net, especially for a team like Canada whose goaltending has been criticized year in and year out.
Blackwood has a .920 save percentage and 2.26 goals against average through his first 11 starts and has a 10-1-1 record. If Kuemper can’t make Team Canada, Blackwood is a pretty good consolation prize.
Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks
A youth movement is seemingly taking over the North American squads with names like Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Schaefer, Cole Caufield and Matthew Knies expected to make a case for their respective teams. One more young gun in Anaheim Ducks left winger Cutter Gauthier could be hopeful for Team USA in the absence of Panthers' Tkachuk.
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Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk revealed that he is no longer restricted to skating every other day as his return process ramps up.
Obviously, Gauthier is too early in his career to have accomplished what Tkachuk has. However, he combines an elite goal-scoring ability with strong physical play to bring all the qualities that USA will be missing in Tkachuk.
Gauthier has 18 goals and 36 points in his first 35 games and has been a key contributor to Anaheim’s success.
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