Oilers Who Should Be Heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics

With NHL players officially being able to return to the Olympic Games in 2026, the scouts of each country are out in full force this season. Countries are formulating their rosters, with a Dec. 31 deadline for official rosters drawing closer by the day. And with that, there are a number of Edmonton Oilers players who have a shot to represent their country in Italy in February.

Related: Edmonton Oilers Quarter-Season Awards

There are a couple of obvious selections from Edmonton that will be making Olympic squads, but also a handful of bubble players that will really have to battle down the stretch until the deadline to claim a spot. Let’s look at all the Oilers with a chance to play in the 2026 Winter Olympics and why they should be going.

Canada – Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard

Connor McDavid will obviously be a part of the Team Canada roster for about a million reasons. The highly decorated Oilers captain will likely be one of the leaders both in the locker room and on the scoreboard for a Canadian team looking to build upon an exciting victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

One of the more borderline picks for the team is a guy who just came back from injury and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. Zach Hyman is a multi-tool player for the Oilers who could be a great addition to Team Canada. He has an elite scoring touch and is a hard hitter that loves to play in the corners and on the wall. He has recently been projected to make the team, but did not make the 4 Nations roster back in February.

If he plays strong from now until Christmas and builds off his great season debut, there is a great case for him to be on the team. Team Canada will have a lot of finesse and skill, so they’ll need a guy who can do a bit of the other stuff as well.

The most complicated case of them all is Evan Bouchard. He is one of the league’s top offensive defencemen and a dangerous high-leverage performer. It’s his play in the defensive end that is constantly being called into question, which would ultimately hold him back from making the team. Canada has some great defensive talent that plays amazing both ways, so Bouchard will need to really show his worth down the stretch to make the cut. It will be a toss-up if he makes it or not, but my vote is yes.

Germany – Leon Draisaitl

Similar to McDavid, Leon Draisaitl is a lock to be named to his country’s roster. The “German Gretzky” is a goal-scoring machine who has had nothing but success since being drafted back in 2014. He will be a leader for Team Germany and will likely see a heavy workload as there are not as many NHL players on this roster as other teams. Nonetheless, Draisaitl automatically makes them a dangerous team.

An honourable mention to prospect Josh Samanski who isn’t with the Oilers right now, but should make the cut for Team Germany. He had a great preseason with the team and has been solid for the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors so far this season.

USA – Jack Roslovic

A rather bold choice for this list is one of the newest Oilers. Jack Roslovic has been arguably the hottest player on the team as of late and shows no signs of slowing down. Team USA will more than likely look very similar to what it was at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change in the next month or so.

The path for Roslovic to get there is similar to Hyman’s. He will need to build off the offensive overload early on and ride it right into the holiday season. He is among the Oilers’ top scorers and is an extremely smart and aggressive player that could fit in with the other American stars.

Sweden – Mattias Ekholm, Mattias Janmark

Mattias Ekholm would have likely had a good chance to make Team Sweden a couple of times already if NHL players were allowed to participate, so this is a great opportunity for him to get his first crack at it. Though it has been slow out of the gates for Ekholm, he remains one of Sweden’s elite defenders and should at least be added for depth. Veterans like him are good to have at the Games as he’ll provide strong leadership and steady play on the back end.

A guy who would probably have to be pretty impressive in the next while to make it, but should yield at least a little consideration is Mattias Janmark. His offensive contributions are definitely not where he shines the most, but rather in areas such as penalty killing and shut-down hockey. Team Sweden should consider adding him if they are looking for some more of that. As Janmark comes off an injury, he will really need to step up if he wants to make the team. I believe his past play in the playoffs presents a strong case already.

Czechia – David Tomasek

Despite a slow start to his NHL career, David Tomasek still has a great shot to play for his home country in the Olympics. His past success in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), among other leagues, gives him a great chance to crack the team. There is also limited depth in terms of Czech forwards in the NHL, so he is an easy pick given his experience. He has great goal-scoring potential and is a big body who can balance out the Czechia roster. It could also spark him in the back half of his first pro season.

It’s unlikely that all these players make their respective rosters, but there will certainly be a few to root for as Oilers fans at the Winter Games in a few months time.