On Feb. 2, the NHL announced that not only will the league be participating in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics, but it will host a 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, featuring Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland that will essentially function as a truncated World Cup of Hockey.
Everyone knows that superstars like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews will be in line to compete at the top level of international hockey for the first time in their professional careers, but just about every team has at least a few players who could be candidates to represent their country, including Philadelphia Flyers who have had a surprising solid campaign this year. Instead of wondering about the team’s trade deadline plans or if they can maintain their stellar November and December form, here’s a look at those Flyers who might represent their country in 2026.
Olympic Chances Look Good
Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland)
As Kurt Russell portraying Herb Brooks in Miracle said, “Not looking for the best players, Craig, I’m looking for the right ones.” Rasmus Ristolainen is far from the best player on the Flyers, but Finland’s blue line isn’t particularly strong outside of a trio of Dallas Stars (Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpaa). The former first-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres has always had the tools — smooth skating, a big physical frame and a right-handed shot – but he’s also had the intangibles.
Under John Tortorella and Brad Shaw’s tutelage, Ristolainen is putting his skills to good use. He’s not worth his $5.1 million cap hit, but his improved defensive game could make him a legitimately useful player for Finland and not just someone with name value. There are only 11 active Finnish defenders in the NHL, two of whom have played less than 15 games, and there isn’t an obvious prospect from recent drafts who could jump in.
Flyers Who Could Make It As Is
Travis Konecny (Canada)
As always, Team Canada will be stacked, particularly up front. Only the best of the best are locks for the roster, and there will be at least a few star players who won’t make the cut. As of now, Travis Konecny is on the bubble. He’s a great player and could hit the 40-goal mark this season for the first time in his NHL career. His underlying numbers are also good, while his penalty-killing prowess (tied for first with seven short-handed goals) is another feather in his cap. This could be the tie-breaker that works in his favor.
But the competition will be stiff. Other Canadians on the bubble include Zach Hyman, Sam Reinhart, Steven Stamkos, Mark Scheifele, Bo Horvat, Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas and more (from ‘Projecting Canada’s 2025 hockey roster: How do McDavid, Makar, Bedard and Co. stack up for best-on-best?’, The Athletic, Dec. 28, 2023). Konecny can’t play center, so that’s a point against him. Overall, I like his chances, especially because his PK ability and spunk make him well-equipped for a bottom-six role.
Sean Couturier (Canada)
It’s impressive that Sean Couturier is even on this list after going 22 months without playing an NHL game. Like Konecny, he has attributes that could separate him from similar or even slightly more talented players. He’s defensively responsible, which should go without saying as a former Selke Trophy winner. He is also strong on the penalty-kill and faceoffs (52.5% this season, 52.1% career). Those are all great traits for a fourth-line center on a stacked Canada team.
The question marks around Couturier will be his offense and his age. He is on pace for 55 points this season, a respectable total but below the low-mid 70s mark he hovered around from 2017-18 through 2020-21. His 33rd birthday will be just before the start of the 2026 Olympics, so if age-related regression kicks in, it will affect Couturier’s chances. If he maintains his current form, though, he’ll be right in the mix.
Samuel Ersson (Sweden)
You could make a case for Samuel Ersson to join Ristolainen in the top tier of this list. Linus Ullmark is a near certainty to be Sweden’s starter after 1.5 seasons of elite play with the Boston Bruins. Jacob Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson are the two incumbents behind him, but it doesn’t take much to see where either could be jumped. Markstrom will be 36 when the 2026 Games begin, and Gustavsson is struggling to build on last year’s breakout season – he is now on injured reserve.
A rough stretch before the All-Star Break brought Ersson’s numbers way down. However, he’s still 38th in the NHL in goals saved above expected with 1.8 (Gustavsson is 61st with negative-2.3). He’s also the youngest netminder of this group and showed flashes of brilliance for much of this season. It’s always possible a spot opens up. Who fills it could come down to whether Ersson develops faster than 2021 first-round pick Jesper Wallstedt.
Flyers Who Need to Take a Leap (or Two)
Owen Tippett (Canada)
For some countries, a 30-goal, 60-point scoring winger with quality underlying metrics would be a strong candidate to make the team. Canada is not one of them. For Owen Tippett to earn serious consideration, he’ll need to consistently showcase the high-end skill he’s flashed on occasion. The Flyers seem to believe he has a second-gear, judging by the massive extension they signed him to last week. If they’re right, it could warrant Olympic consideration, but his odds of actually cracking the lineup are low.
Cam York (USA)
The general theme for Cam York’s 2023-24 season is that while he hasn’t produced as much offense as the team hoped, he’s made up for it by improving his defensive game. That’s great, but for him to earn a spot on a stacked American blue line, he’ll need to make a similar jump in the offensive zone, as well. As a prospect, he was considered an aggressive defenseman, and he’s looked good when he’s had the chance to run a power play at the NHL level, but he almost certainly won’t be doing that for the States, diminishing his value to the team.
Joel Farabee (USA)
Right now, Team USA might not even have space for Chris Kreider, a former 50-goal scorer and universally respected power forward. Kreider is essentially a supercharged version of Joel Farabee, who has quietly taken some big steps this season at both ends of the ice. It may not be enough, but at 23 years old, Farabee still has time to grow. Reaching Olympic-caliber is a lot to ask, though.
Jamie Drysdale (Canada)
The Flyers acquired Jamie Drysdale (when they were all but forced to deal Cutter Gauthier) because they believe he has the upside to be a No. 1 defenseman. He’ll need to become that to have a chance. Canada’s defense is stacked, especially with Noah Dobson (a similar player) delivering a season worthy of Norris Trophy consideration. The smooth-skating, offensively inclined Drysdale has a skillset built for the modern game, but his age might hurt his chances – he’ll be just 23 years old when the Games begin, meaning he might not have hit his ceiling yet. This may be a check back in 2030 situation.
Flyers Wild Card
Matvei Michkov (Russia)
Several things could derail Matvei Michkov’s Olympic chances before they even start rolling. The obvious one is Russia’s status for the Games. With the war in Ukraine still going on, there’s no way of knowing if Russia will be eligible for the 2026 Olympics or in 2030. There’s also no telling when the future of a young Russian player’s career might be in jeopardy, especially after SKA St. Petersburg’s refusal to give him an extended look early this season.
Russia also has a ton of quality talent, especially up front. Even in the best-case scenario, Michkov will not be guaranteed a roster spot. He’s already had some hurdles this season, including a bout with pneumonia, but he’s still producing at a near point-per-game, an unfathomable rate for a teenager in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Given Connor Bedard is already being penciled into Team Canada’s lineup, it’s fair to expect Michkov (who may have gone No. 2 if not for the complications of drafting a Russian player) to be, at minimum, a serious contender for the 2026 Olympics — if the circumstances allow it.
Which Flyers Are Olympic Bound?
Probably at least two of them. Ristolainen is a near certainty, and Konecny and Ersson have pretty clear paths to a roster spot. One may miss, but the odds are that at least one finds a way onto their team. Couturier’s track will be a bit more difficult because of his age, but he’s shown this season he deserves to be in the conversation.
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The dearth of other players with the potential to make the cut (a list that doesn’t even include the slight but not zero-percent possibility of a youngster like Canada’s Tyson Foerster or Sweden’s Emil Andrae taking a massive leap) is a good sign for Philadelphia’s future. If any of them make it, it wouldn’t just be a great achievement for the player but a very promising sign for where the Flyers will be when the 2026 Olympic break begins.