During the 2024 NHL All-Star Break, the NHL announced a return to the Winter Olympics, starting with the 2026 games in Milan. The announcement has many speculating about who will go overseas for the games and represent their countries and notably which teams will have strong rosters (a handful of teams have articles about this, you can check them out here).
Related: Projecting the United States’ Roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics
The New York Islanders have a roster that at first glance doesn’t look like it will have a lot of players on national teams. They have an aging core and by 2026, many of their star skaters will be at the end of their primes. That said, a few players have great chances of making it to the Olympics with a handful of skaters also posing an outside chance of sliding onto the roster. So, let’s look at the Islanders roster and who can get the nod.
A Sure Thing: Ilya Sorokin (Russia)
Two obstacles are preventing Ilya Sorokin from making the Russian national team. The first isn’t in his control as the country can be sanctioned for the war in Ukraine. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) banned Russia in 2022 and it’s unclear if it will be lifted by 2026. The other issue for Sorokin, the on-the-ice factor, is the competition from the other elite goaltenders.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has established himself as a world-class goaltender who plays at a high level in the regular season and is incredible in the playoffs. He led the Tampa Bay Lightning to two Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, and his dominant performances in the 2021 run allowed him to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player. Along with Vasilevskiy, Sorokin will go up against Igor Shesterkin, the New York Rangers goaltender who won the Vezina Trophy in 2022, and Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina winner who helped the Florida Panthers reach the Cup Final in 2023.
Both obstacles make it seem like Sorokin will be left off the roster. However, the starting goaltending job is still his to lose. Even with a rough season in the net, he’s outplaying Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy and performing at a high level. While Bobrovsky is having a great season, he’ll be 37 by the time the Olympics roll around and it’s unlikely he’ll be as sharp in the net at that age. Sorokin will be in his prime in 2026 at 31 years old and carrying the Islanders as the primary starter.
The only question is if Sorokin will be the starter or backup Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy has more career accolades and is on track to enter the Hall of Fame, but Russia will likely roll with the hot hand. The 2010 Canada team had Martin Brodeur, arguably the greatest goaltender of all time, on the roster and they rolled with Roberto Luongo who was in his prime and outplaying Brodeur. Similarly, if Sorokin continues to play at an elite level, he’ll enter the 2026 Olympics as the starter.
Possible but a Tough Road: Barzal, Dobson & Horvat (Canada)
The real challenge for the Islanders’ star players is making it onto the Canadian roster. Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand will be 38 and 37 respectively when the games begin but they look to round out the Halifax line led by Nathan MacKinnon. Then there are the generationally talented Connors (Bedard and McDavid) and Brayden Point rounding out the top six. On top of that, the defense is led by Cale Makar, arguably the best two-way defenseman in the game, while Jakob Chychrun, Josh Morrissey, and Evan Bouchard round out the unit.
Canada’s projected lineup doesn’t fare well for the trio of Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Noah Dobson. All three skaters are great but the question is if they are worthy of joining a roster where available spots will be hard to find. It leaves all three players with a chance to make it if only a lot ends up in their favor.
Horvat could be the fourth-line center who beats out Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Sam Bennett, or rising star Adam Fantilli for that final roster spot. He has 20 goals through 48 games this season after scoring 38 goals a season ago and his great shot and scoring instincts will allow him to remain a great goal scorer when the Games roll around. Horvat won’t beat out McDavid, MacKinnon, and Steven Stamkos up the middle but the final center position will be up for grabs. At 30 years old, it could be Horvat’s for the taking.
Barzal, who was selected as the team’s All-Star, has a great chance to make it because of his versatility. While he’s a pass-first skater, with only 119 goals compared to 295 assists in his career, he’s started to add a shooting presence to the top line. In addition, his move to the wing from the center position allows him to play anywhere on the forward unit. It makes him a great player to add to the Canadian roster and at 28, he’ll be playing his best hockey.
Then there’s Dobson, who at 24 years old at the moment, is still growing as a defenseman. He’s been great at the point, scoring six goals and adding 46 assists to the offense this season and the expectation is that he will round out his game in the coming years. If that happens, he could get the nod for Canada as a second or third-pair option. He’s made significant strides in the past season alone and while he likely won’t make it to the Olympics in 2026, he’ll have a great case in 2030.
A Clear Path Barring Age: Brock Nelson (USA)
The USA team, like the Canadian team, will have a talented roster from the top down. The Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Matthew), the Hughes brothers (Jack, Luke, and Quinn), and Auston Matthews highlight the projected lineup while Kyle Connor, Tage Thompson, and Cole Caufield round out the forward unit. It leaves little to no room for a veteran like Brock Nelson to join the team.
That said, Nelson, who has recently blossomed into an elite scorer, is still capable of making the team as a middle-six center. He scored 37 goals in 2021-22 and 36 in 2022-23, yet he’s on pace for a career-best season with 21 goals in 50 games played this season. On top of that, Nelson’s proven he not only can find the back of the net himself but also set up the other skaters on the ice for scoring chances.
The biggest question facing the Minnesota native is if he’ll remain a great scorer in 2026. Nelson will be 34 years old when the Olympics take place and it’s likely he’ll lose a step as a skater and a playmaker at the center position. The USA roster will need to have speed throughout the lineup and if an aging star can’t provide it, he won’t make the team. It makes the upcoming seasons pivotal for Nelson as he can prove he’s worthy of the nod if he continues to age gracefully, which he’s done in the past few seasons.
Honorable Mentions
Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock are two of the best defensemen in the league and are exceptional in the defensive zone particularly. They play gap-sound, disciplined defense, and limit shooting lanes for opponents. The big issue with both skaters is that they have battled injuries this season and their careers could be at a turning point. By the time the Olympics arrive, they might not be the same defensemen they were in previous seasons.
The other issue that Pelech and Pulock have is one that Dobson shares as well. They both would represent Canada, a country that has no shortage of elite defensemen and it will require both skaters to stand out.
Which players on the Islanders do you think will make it to the Olympics? Let us know in the comments section below.
