Team Canada released their roster for the Olympics in February in Milan: 14 forwards, eight defencemen, and three goalies. The eight defencemen are the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar and Devon Toews, St. Louis Blues’ Colton Parayko, Vegas Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore, Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey, Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Sanheim, Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty, and Dallas Stars’ Thomas Harley.
Related: Canada Announces 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Roster
Those are the same eight defencemen who were on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster last year. While Canada won with them, there are still some defenders who should’ve made the team, as a couple of them who made the roster are having down seasons compared to last year.
Doughty and Sanheim Shouldn’t Have Made the Team
Doughty is 36 years old and is a shell of what he used to be. He has slowed down a lot, as he’s aging. He has three goals and ten assists for 13 points in 31 games with the Los Angeles Kings, with a plus-11. While he’s been good defensively, there are many better and quicker options. He’s slowed down to the point where when the Kings are on the power play, other teams pressure him into a turnover, and he can’t make up for it. While he’ll offer a veteran presence, that is not worth it enough to have him on the roster.
Sanheim is weird because while he hasn’t struggled as much as Doughty, and he’s improved over the years, there are still better defencemen behind him who deserve to make the roster more. He has three goals and 13 assists, adding up to 16 points, with a plus-1. He just isn’t consistent enough defensively and doesn’t make up for it enough offensively to justify getting a spot on the national team.
3 Other Defencemen Were Snubbed
For starters, Matthew Schaefer. Defencemen, when they come into the league, normally take a year or two to get adjusted to NHL play. He has skipped that phase, and the 18-year-old phenom and Calder Trophy favorite became the youngest defenceman in history to reach 25 points. He would bring young, quick life to that defensive core. Plus, the New York Islanders’ defensive core is lacking; imagine what he could do with some of the best defencemen in the world?
Noah Dobson is another great candidate. Since being traded from the Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens, the 25-year-old has tallied 27 points in 39 games. Not only is he outstanding offensively with his hands, but his defensive abilities are there as well, as he has a phenomenal stick; he can disrupt any type of play — his vision goes both ways. Dobson has seemed to have been rejuvenated since being traded to the Habs, and he would’ve been able to carry that confidence over to the Olympics if he were given the chance.
Last but not least, Evan Bouchard. Bouchard has been the leader of the Edmonton Oilers’ defensive unit for a long time now, and he is one of the best offensive defencemen in the league. He is 26 years old and has seven goals and 30 assists, tallying up to 37 points in 40 games. Connor McDavid and Bouchard find each other nicely in Edmonton; why not have that on Team Canada?
Canada being okay with rolling out the same eight as last year is a shame, given the fact that there is a new slew of talent proving their worth and even doing a better job. Those three guys deserve to be on the team.
