Over the recent All-Star break, the NHL officially announced that NHL players will be competing in both the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympic games. The NHL Players Association and the league themselves have come to an agreement with the IIHF that will see the players from the best hockey league in the world finally competing in this best-on-best tournament for the first time since 2014.
We still haven’t seen players Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, or Nathan MacKinnon in the Olympics and now we’ll finally get that chance. All the talk about Team USA’s strength in net with guys like Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson, as well as youngsters like Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman will finally be put to the test as well.
There will also certainly be a handful of Detroit Red Wings players competing for their nations once again. Back in 2014 we saw Jimmy Howard play for Team USA, as well as Red Wings legends Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Daniel Alfredsson competing for Team Sweden (that last one was a joke, in case you didn’t catch it).
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This whole situation has left me wondering. Which current and future Red Wings players could compete for their country when the NHL returns to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030? Recently we took a look at the Red Wings players most likely to compete for their countries in the 2026 Olympics, so let’s take a look at the players who I think have the best chances on the team.
Olympic Tournament Basics
The Olympic tournament for Men’s Ice Hockey includes 12 teams. In 2030 those teams will be the top-eight ranked nations by the IIHF, the host nation (if they’re not one of the top eight teams), and three teams that make the cut following a qualifier tournament.
All of the usual suspects will be there, Canada, Finland, USA, Sweden, Germany, etc., and some of the teams vying for a qualifier spot will be Latvia, Norway and Austria, to name just a few. Each player listed below will also have their age highlighted, and this will be their age when the tournament happens so we can better track what stage of their career they’ll be in.
Team USA:
Dylan Larkin (33)
I’m not confident that Larkin will make Team USA in his age 33 season, unless he can somehow follow the Joe Pavelski school of never aging. By no means do I think that Larkin will be a bad player at this point, I just think it will be hard to justify including him when you take the list for the 2026 team and then add guys like Will Smith, James Hagens (2025 Draft) and Logan Cooley to the mix when they’re hitting the prime years of their careers. I think Larkin’s speed, shot, and reputation will give him a chance, though not a very good one.
Chance to Make the Team: 20%
Trey Augustine (24)
It would be a bit of a surprise if Trey Augustine was established enough to make Team USA in 2030, but guys like Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko will be 34 and 36 respectively so there will likely be space for the next generation.
Augustine would likely be competing with Oettinger (31) and Swayman (31) for a spot so maybe he could be the third stringer if things go well for him in the next few years as he continues in the NCAA and eventually moves to the AHL and NHL. His recent success with the US National Team won’t hurt his case either.
Chance to Make the Team: 15%
Team Sweden:
Lucas Raymond (27)
Raymond will be firmly in his prime for the 2030 Olympics and I think he’ll be a lock to make the team. Several of Sweden’s current stars will be in the later stages of their careers and Raymond will be a member of the new guard. I think there’s a good chance he’s got a few point-per-game NHL seasons under his belt by this point and hopefully the Red Wings will be a consistent competitor in the NHL by then.
Chance to Make the Team: 100%
Simon Edvinsson (27)
While he’s probably at least in the conversation for Team Sweden in 2026, I think Simon Edvinsson is more likely to make his Olympic debut in 2030 when he’s 27 years old. Established Swedish stars like Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman will be 39 at this point, and so Sweden will need other players to step up big time. Edvinsson will have several NHL seasons under his belt by 2030, and I think he’ll be at least a great top-four option for Sweden, possibly a top-pairing guy as well.
Chance to Make the Team: 90%
Axel Sandin Pellikka (24)
Axel Sandin Pellikka has already established himself as a bit of an international star considering his performances for Sweden at the U18 and U20 World Juniors in the 18 months. While his calling card is his offensive game, I will still argue that he’s better defensively than people give him credit for and I think he’ll be a strong enough two-way player by age 24 to crack Sweden’s roster. I expect Sandin Pellikka to have played at least a couple of seasons in the NHL by 2030 and I think he’d be a great choice for Sweden, even if he plays a small even strength role and big power play minutes.
Chance to Make the Team: 85%
Team Germany:
Moritz Seider (28)
It’s likely the same story for Germany in 2030 as 2026 with Seider standing out as the nation’s best defenseman by a good margin. In 2030 he will be firmly in his prime years, and could very well be one of the best defenders in the world. I’m excited to see which drafted prospects are established enough to play for Germany in 2030, as we could see a couple of strong players come out of the 2025 Draft class with David Lewandowski as well as Rihards and Gustavs Griva (yes, they’re twins) making some noise by 2030.
Chance to Make the Team: 100%
Team Canada:
Nate Danielson (25)
I’m not sure if Nate Danielson will be a star-level scorer in his prime, but there’s a real chance he’s developed his two-way game enough by age 25 to be a Dylan Larkin-like piece for Team Canada in their bottom-six. Danielson is a better offensive player than his WHL numbers show this year, just look back to his excellent showing in the NHL Preseason back in September and you’ll see the potential he has. Danielson has just about every trait you could hope for in a great NHL center and I think that will give him a chance to crack Canada’s roster.
Obviously Canada will still have a 33-year-old Connor McDavid, a 31-year-old Cale Makar, and a 24-year-old Connor Bedard, among other stars, so the competition will be tough for Danielson. However, I think his game lends itself well to international play, especially considering the versatility expected of NHL forwards in such an event.
Chance to Make the Team: 33%
Sebastian Cossa (27)
Like Augustine, this one is a bit of a long shot at this point but there’s no other clear candidates for Canada’s crease at this point aside from maybe Devon Levi. Cossa has been counted out by plenty of people, but he’s had a better season this year in the AHL than many are giving him credit for, even having slightly better stats than Jesper Wallstedt at this point in the season. By 2030 we’ll most likely know if Cossa can be an NHL starting goalie or not, and if he is good enough to fill that role, he will likely be good enough to have a chance at making Team Canada.
Chance to Make the Team: 25%
Honorable Mention:
Marco Kasper (25)
Once again, Kasper is going to represent Austria in international play whenever they qualify so hopefully a few showings from guys like himself, Marco Rossi and David Reinbacher in other international tournaments can help Austria qualify for the Olympics by 2030.
Chance to Make the Team: 100% (If Austria qualifies)
Plenty of Red Wings Who Could Compete
The Olympics are such a fun event to watch but they’ve been rather lacking in the men’s ice hockey department lately so it’s great news that the NHL is finally returning. True best-on-best hockey is a sight to behold and it’s always fascinating to see which players rise to the occasion when the pressure is at its highest.
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I expect the Red Wings to have a considerable contingent competing in the 2030 Olympics, from current players to prospects and maybe even future draft picks. Detroit is on the upswing portion of their rebuild now and has a good chance to be a really competitive team around 2030 so it makes sense that they would have plenty of players to send to compete.
Which Red Wings players do you think have the best chances to play in the Olympics? Do you think Austria will qualify in time for 2030? Will Axel Sandin Pellikka be ready to contribute for Sweden by then? Do you think Augustine or Cossa will represent their nations in goal? Sound off in the comment section below!
