Over the All-Star Weekend, NHL fans got the news they’ve been waiting many years to hear: the NHL will allow players to participate in the 2026 (and 2030) Winter Olympics. The news is a welcome update for fans who have been longing for a true best-on-best international competition. And with those Olympic games scheduled to start in Italy exactly two years from yesterday, it’s not to early to start talking about potential rosters.
In this article, we’ll look at a few current Blues players and prospects who might be on their respective Olympic rosters when the time comes. We’ll look at the sure things, the “on the fence” players, and the dark horses for inclusion in 2026. We won’t account for a country’s likelihood of competing in the Olympic Tournament — we’ll look at all current Blues players and consider whether they’d make their roster when the time comes.
The “Sure Things” for 2026
Robert Thomas – Canada
Let’s start with a potentially controversial opinion: Robert Thomas is a lock for Team Canada in 2026. The Blues’ points leader is in the midst of his best season to date, with over a point per game at the break. He is clearly the best player in the organization at this point, but it’s his superlative passing that will land him a spot on the Team Canada roster.
According to all metrics, Thomas is among the game’s best passers. He is an elite playmaker already, at just 24. Give him two more years to mature into his prime, and he will be undeniable as a playmaking threat. Of course, with Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard, among others, Canada will have plenty of depth at center. But Thomas is versatile enough to move to the wings if need be. His playmaking ability and on-ice vision are simply too extraordinary to deny him a spot on the Team Canada roster, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Nathan Walker – Australia
Remember when we said we wouldn’t consider a team’s likelihood of making the Olympics? Nathan Walker is the reason why. Of course, we recognize that Australia probably won’t field a team in 2026, but if they do, Walker will not only make the roster, he’ll be the captain and best player. He is indisputably the best ice hockey player in Australian history — in fact, the only player from the island to make the NHL. Yes, Australia probably won’t be in the 2026 Olympic tournament, but Walker deserves recognition nonetheless.
Dalibor Dvorský – Slovakia
Okay, so this one might be a little premature, but Dalibor Dvorsky looks like the genuine article right now with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and even at 20 years old in 2026, he will likely be one of Slovakia’s best players. In fact, Dobber Prospects projects him as Slovakia’s top center, between Juraj Slafkovský and Filip Mešár.
Related: All-Time Slovak NHL Lineup
Dvorský currently has 50 points (26 goals) in 31 games since making the late move to Sudbury a few weeks into the season. He looks like a future star there, worthy of the 10th overall pick the Blues spent on him. He has a very bright future as one of the best players in the Blues’ pipeline, and he should be a fixture at the next two Olympics for Team Slovakia.
“On the Fence” for Italy
Jordan Kyrou – Canada
It’s hard to know which Jordan Kyrou you’ll get from game to game and season to season. At his best, he is an elite scoring threat and one of the best skaters in the NHL (he even won the Fastest Skater competition at the 2022 All-Star Game). And if he was on pace for his third-consecutive nearly point-per-game season, he would be pretty close to a “sure thing.” But Kyrou’s struggles this season are well-documented.
Kyrou had some very public friction with former head coach Craig Berube, which many speculate led in part to the latter’s ouster earlier this season. But Kyrou has not been significantly better under interim head coach Drew Bannister. It could just be a bad season. If it is, and Kyrou rebounds to a near-elite player in 2024-25, he’ll certainly have a strong case for Team Canada (though, of course, there is plenty of competition to make that roster). But at his current output, he’s probably on the outside looking in.
Pavel Buchnevich – Russia
Here’s another case where the nation is more of an obstacle than the player’s chance to make the roster. At this rate, Russia may not be allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympics. But if they are, Pavel Buchnevich will most likely be on the roster. He’s only in this category because Russia has so much talent, especially on the wings. Buchnevich will have competition from the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Matvei Michkov, Andrei Svechnikov, Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, former teammate Vladimir Tarasenko, and more. But it’s really tough to see Buchnevich not ultimately taking one of those spots. He has been too consistent over his Blues’ tenure, and he should be exactly the kind of player Russia wants rounding out its roster.
Jimmy Snuggerud – United States
While we were willing to coronate Dvorský before he’d played an NHL game, we can’t quite do that for Jimmy Snuggerud, due mostly to the United States’ deep pool of talent. But he is certainly on a course where he could see an opportunity in 2026 and is most likely a lock for 2030. For the second year in a row, Snuggerud is one of the top scorers and most dangerous players in NCAA hockey, and he’s still just a 19-year-old sophomore. He’s still so young, and the U.S. is so deep, that he probably leans towards the “dark horse” side of this category. But he’s got a bright future and he deserves some consideration as a future Olympics player.
Colton Parayko – Canada
Now, some Blues fans will scoff at this inclusion, saying that Colton Parayko has passed his prime by a considerable margin. But never underestimate a hockey executive’s ability to see value in a big, tough right-handed defenseman with a hard shot. Parayko’s name still carries a lot of weight around the league, and that could carry him into an Olympic position if he trends in the right direction.
Parayko has plenty of competition, and certainly won’t be pulled ahead of sure things like Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and others. But he very well could earn a spot as a third-pairing, shutdown defenseman. He played that role extremely well with Team Canada gold medal veteran Jay Bouwmeester during the 2019 Stanley Cup run. Don’t rule out his getting called into service for his country in 2026.
Olympics Dark Horse
Jordan Binnington – Canada
Yes, you read correctly: Jordan Binnington is a dark horse to make Team Canada. As deep as Canada is in all skater positions, they are shockingly weak between the pipes. When you look at the top goalies in the NHL, there are a lot of Americans and a lot of Russians, but relatively few Canadians. Their best options are Adin Hill, Stuart Skinner, and Tristan Jarry. And beyond those three, Binnington might be the next best option, especially in the midst of something of a bounce-back season. He has not been the same goalie that won a Stanley Cup for several seasons, but he’s improving at the right time, and with Canada short of options, don’t rule out their taking a flyer on the streaky former Cup winner.
Did We Miss Anyone?
Now that we’ve gone through our list, tell us: did we miss anyone? Are any players in the Blues’ organization that we didn’t name bound for the 2026 Olympics? Let us know in the comments. The great news is, NHL players are headed back to the Olympics, and that’s cause for all of us to celebrate!
