There have been plenty of articles trying to predict Team Canada and Team USA’s rosters for the upcoming 2026 Olympics, but not nearly as much press has been given to European teams such as Team Finland. On Saturday, THN’s Adam Proteau wrote a Team Finland projection, and according to him, one Montreal Canadiens player (and a couple of former ones) will be heading to Milano Cortina this winter.

While the Finns may not be the favourites to take home the gold medal, they always play with incredible pride and dedication for their country, making them a team to watch in any international competition, and the upcoming Olympics will not be an exception.

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According to Proteau, there will be plenty of firepower on Team Finland: Sebastian Aho (C), Aleksander Barkov (C), Roope Hintz (C), Mikael Granlund (C), Artturi Lehkonen (LW), Anton Lundell (LW), Teuvo Teravainen (LW), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (LW), Mikko Rantanen (RW), Patrik Laine (RW), Eeli Tolvanen (RW), and Kaapo Kakko (RW). As for the extras, he lists Erik Haula (LW) and Eetu Luostarinen (LW).

Canadiens’ fans weren’t over the moon with Laine’s performance late in the season; they felt he didn’t play a complete game, and as a result, he saw limited ice time and became less effective. This state of affairs isn’t surprising, as Laine has consistently played this way everywhere he’s been. Even though Martin St-Louis will do his best to develop each of his players into complete players, some instances may prove too challenging, and Laine is one such case.

That’s not to say he’s not a good player. That shot on the power play is lethal, and 20 goals in 52 games is an excellent production rate. It’s high enough to earn the snipper a spot on Proteau’s projected roster because, in a best-on-best tournament, you’ve got to have scoring depth. Laine certainly provides that, even though he couldn’t find the back of the net at the 4 Nations Face-Off, he still had three assists in three games, and he’s not the kind of player you can afford to leave at home.

Two former Habs also find their way on Proteau’s projected roster: Lehkonen and Kotkaniemi. While no one will argue with the former’s selection, I’m not convinced the latter deserves consideration. Lehkonen has shone brightly with the Colorado Avalanche since being traded. Playing alongside top talent, he was instrumental in their conquest of the 2022 Stanley Cup. Kotkaniemi’s story is different; he has caused a lot of headaches for the Carolina Hurricanes, who signed him to an eight-year contract before he had proven much. He didn’t get the call for the 4 Nations, and perhaps he will for the Olympics, but I’m far from convinced.

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