Team Canada 2026

[JackSlater]

Locks in my opinion (ignore line composition):
Point - McDavid - Marner
Hagel - Mackinnon - Reinhart
- Crosby - Bennet

Makar - Toews
Morrissey - Theodore
Doughty - Harley

Binnington

Not a lock but more than likely to be on the team:
Stone - Cirelli - Thomas
Celebrini - Suzuki - Jarvis

Parayko
Pietrangelo

Hill
Thompson

Unlikely but not impossible they make the team:

Marchand - Johnston - Bedard
Hyman - Schieffle - Wilson
Konecny

Sanheim

Montembleaut

Thoughts:

I feel as though it will be one of Cirelli or Suzuki who makes the squad, not both. As they'll take one guy who can win faceoffs and is more defensively-minded. I'd take Suzuki, but with avoiding the Worlds and Cirelli playing for Cooper he may lose that battle.

Similar note but they'll take one of Marchand or Stone. Slower guys who play with a nasty physical edge. Right now I think it goes to Stone.

Again, similar note but I think one of Celebrini/Bedard makes it. Whoever is playing better at the time. I'd personally pick Bedard with that lethal right shot who loves the big games, but Celebrini is playing better right now, though he actually has more around him than Bedsy does in Chicago.

I really want Johnson to make it, but there's a lot of competition for maybe ~6 spots out of 14 forward positions that are realistically not accounted for. Hope he gives HC no choice early next season.

There were 9 defenseman named in the 4 Nations roster including Pietro who bailed, and Harley who came in for Theodore. The 8 choices will come from those 9. Throw a dart at a board blindfolded to see who's out. My choice is Pietro.

I'd be more conservative with naming locks (Hagel, Cirelli, Doughty, Harley, Toews more "likely" than locks) but the team will very likely look like you're suggesting. I'd expect to see all of those guys at the summer camp, plus a few others.

I'm very hopeful that Cirelli is not a lock. Canada's needs four lines with some offensive ability and Cirelli demonstrated that he doesn't have that offence at this level. No doubt Cooper wants him there, but he isn't the GM and coaches tend to be crappy GMs anyway. To give the GM group credit, they really nailed the harley choice for the four nations.

 

[novisor]

I'd be more conservative with naming locks (Hagel, Cirelli, Doughty, Harley, Toews more "likely" than locks) but the team will very likely look like you're suggesting. I'd expect to see all of those guys at the summer camp, plus a few others.

I'm very hopeful that Cirelli is not a lock. Canada's needs four lines with some offensive ability and Cirelli demonstrated that he doesn't have that offence at this level. No doubt Cooper wants him there, but he isn't the GM and coaches tend to be crappy GMs anyway. To give the GM group credit, they really nailed the harley choice for the four nations.

Toews is a lock. He didn't look incredible at the four nations but the chance of them not brining him is 0%. Chemistry with Makar, lack of any real options who are definitively better than him, etc.

 

[JackSlater]

Toews is a lock. He didn't look incredible at the four nations but the chance of them not brining him is 0%. Chemistry with Makar, lack of any real options who are definitively better than him, etc.

I don't think it's 0% because he just isn't a great player, but I agree he is very likely to make it. Ideally Canada would have several elite LHD options but it's basically just Morrissey, maybe Harley if he can continue to ascend next year.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

I'd be more conservative with naming locks (Hagel, Cirelli, Doughty, Harley, Toews more "likely" than locks) but the team will very likely look like you're suggesting. I'd expect to see all of those guys at the summer camp, plus a few others.

I'm very hopeful that Cirelli is not a lock. Canada's needs four lines with some offensive ability and Cirelli demonstrated that he doesn't have that offence at this level. No doubt Cooper wants him there, but he isn't the GM and coaches tend to be crappy GMs anyway. To give the GM group credit, they really nailed the harley choice for the four nations.

Hagel is tied for 11th in league scoring as a 2-way, natural winger...I think he's just as much of a lock at this point as Reinhart.

I tend to agree with you that the others you mentioned aren't 100% absolute locks, though I would lean towards all of them - Cirelli, Doughty, Harley and Toews - being on the 2026 team barring injury or, in Doughty's case, his age clearly and finally catching up to him.

Ideally we would have someone with more of an offensive game centre our 4th line than Cirelli, but I think the management group (influenced by Cooper) will give him the benefit of the doubt and select him again. His lack of offensive skill can be alleviated by his role/usage and by having more skill on his wings. I thought he looked better once Marner was moved down to his line. I don't think his roster spot is unassailable for anything, but the fact that he was selected for the 2025 team, played his role as expected, is trusted by the coach, and played every game and didn't miss a shift in the entire tournament including in the 3rd period of the final game, suggests to me that Cirelli is the guy the organization wants in that 4th line centre role. I think Suzuki or Thomas (who I see as his competitors for that role) have a lot of work to do over the next ~8 months to overcome that, though personally I'd rather have both of them over Cirelli.

I still think the 2026 team will look very similar to the 2025 team. I still think there are 2-4 forward spots readily available - Marchand's, the incremental 14th F spot, maybe Stone's, maybe one of Konecny's, Bennett's, or Jarvis' - and basically 1-2 defense spots (one or two of Harley, Sanheim or Parayko).

I'd like to see Celebrini and Johnston take 2 of those forward spots, and one of Suzuki or Thomas the other. On defense, I wouldn't be surprised if the same 8 d-men are selected, including Pietrangelo.

 

[Boonk]

I don't think it's 0% because he just isn't a great player, but I agree he is very likely to make it. Ideally Canada would have several elite LHD options but it's basically just Morrissey, maybe Harley if he can continue to ascend next year.

Theodore is a LHS that plays RD, can easily slide to LD and we run Theodore-Morrissey-Harley-Toews. Honestly better than what we wouldve had available at LD in either 2018 or 2022 if we went.

 

[HFpapi]

At this point not only is Suzuki cementing his place on the roster, he might be the logical choice to be among the first 6 named.

McDavid
Mackinnon
Crosby
Point
Makar

are all shoe ins to be named again.

Marchand is a shoe in to not be among the first 6 named and likely not on the Olympic roster at all,

There is no obvious 6th pick. Marner perhaps. Pietranglo is too old to assume he'll be on the roster, naming a goalie (Binnington) would be so reckless and dumb. Suzuki for his versatility and two way play, he should be a lock on this team now.

 

[JackSlater]

Theodore is a LHS that plays RD, can easily slide to LD and we run Theodore-Morrissey-Harley-Toews. Honestly better than what we wouldve had available at LD in either 2018 or 2022 if we went.

That is a good point and if Canada can run Morrissey, Theodore, and an improved Harley down the left side, I'd rather just leave Toews off. I still think it is very likely he makes the team.

LHD was Canada's only relative weakness in 2018, that would have been a ridiculous team. 2022 not as much.

 

[Mathieukferland]

LHD was Canada's only relative weakness in 2018, that would have been a ridiculous team

Will never forgive the NHL from taking this away from us. Would have perhaps been the greatest national team to ever play

 

[novisor]

Hagel is tied for 11th in league scoring as a 2-way, natural winger...I think he's just as much of a lock at this point as Reinhart.

I tend to agree with you that the others you mentioned aren't 100% absolute locks, though I would lean towards all of them - Cirelli, Doughty, Harley and Toews - being on the 2026 team barring injury or, in Doughty's case, his age clearly and finally catching up to him.

Ideally we would have someone with more of an offensive game centre our 4th line than Cirelli, but I think the management group (influenced by Cooper) will give him the benefit of the doubt and select him again. His lack of offensive skill can be alleviated by his role/usage and by having more skill on his wings. I thought he looked better once Marner was moved down to his line. I don't think his roster spot is unassailable for anything, but the fact that he was selected for the 2025 team, played his role as expected, is trusted by the coach, and played every game and didn't miss a shift in the entire tournament including in the 3rd period of the final game, suggests to me that Cirelli is the guy the organization wants in that 4th line centre role. I think Suzuki or Thomas (who I see as his competitors for that role) have a lot of work to do over the next ~8 months to overcome that, though personally I'd rather have both of them over Cirelli.

I still think the 2026 team will look very similar to the 2025 team. I still think there are 2-4 forward spots readily available - Marchand's, the incremental 14th F spot, maybe Stone's, maybe one of Konecny's, Bennett's, or Jarvis' - and basically 1-2 defense spots (one or two of Harley, Sanheim or Parayko).

I'd like to see Celebrini and Johnston take 2 of those forward spots, and one of Suzuki or Thomas the other. On defense, I wouldn't be surprised if the same 8 d-men are selected, including Pietrangelo.

I think Bennett with his edge and how he showed up when it mattered has him on this roster. Celebrini and Johnston would both be great additions taking the extra spot and Marchand's. Suzuki in for Cirelli if he continues to play like he is now. Thomas in for Konecny, and Stone stays on the squad.

 

[JackSlater]

View attachment 1004832Will never forgive the NHL from taking this away from us. Would have perhaps been the greatest national team to ever play

That is almost exactly the team I had in December 2017 (different combinations) except that I think I had O'Reilly over Scheifele, Weber was hurt at the time of selection I think, Giordano over Keith, and I don't think I picked Letang. Ridiculous team if it played near its potential. You never know, it could have flamed out and not left the group stage, but it also had all time great potential. Very much lost potential.

 

[ORRFForever]

At this point not only is Suzuki cementing his place on the roster, he might be the logical choice to be among the first 6 named.

McDavid
Mackinnon
Crosby
Point
Makar

are all shoe ins to be named again.

Marchand is a shoe in to not be among the first 6 named and likely not on the Olympic roster at all,

There is no obvious 6th pick. Marner perhaps. Pietranglo is too old to assume he'll be on the roster, naming a goalie (Binnington) would be so reckless and dumb. Suzuki for his versatility and two way play, he should be a lock on this team now.

I agree. Naming Binnington is reckless and Suzuki has played his way onto the roster... unfortunately.

 

[Miller Time]

If Suzuki & Thomas aren't on the team next year...

 

[ORRFForever]

If Suzuki & Thomas aren't on the team next year...

They've both earned it.

 

[JackSlater]

If Suzuki & Thomas aren't on the team next year...

I'm not all that confident that they both will be. If healthy I expect Thomas there, and I think he would have made the four nations team has he been healthier, not as sure on Suzuki. Players are not going to lock down spots based on the last games of the 2025 regular season. Play to start the next season will matter a lot more, and a good performance playing in the playoffs (or maybe world championships) would likely matter more.

If Canada plans to play Point and Crosby on the wing again that helps both a lot. I do think that Bennett and Cirelli can both be supplanted, particularly in Bennett's case where he can be moved to the wing. Canada needs more offence from its non McDavid and MacKinnon lines in 2026.