The 2026 Olympic team will be fascinating. Definitely a changing of the guard as a few mainstays that have been Team Canada would be staples are either gone or will be too old.
Starting with Mcdavid, Mack and Bedard is almost unfair. Other automatics I suppose up front would be Marner and Point.
The rest of the squad up front is kinda hard to project this far out.
Barzal
Thomas
Kyrou
Fantilli
Byfield
Cozens
Mctavish
Johnson and Johnston
Jarvis
Mercer?
Konecny
Hagel?
Vilardi
Perfetti
Wonder where Cellebrini and Lindstrom's game will be in a couple years
Hard to project where the older crew would be like Stone, Hyman, Crosby, Stamkos but they'll definitely force a few into the line-up.
Definitely lacks that size and intimidation that Team Canada usually has. Would really be relying on Mcdavid, Mack, Bedard and Point to be the trump cards to whatever Canada is against. Need a player or two to really break out or come out of no where.
The Defense looks surprisingly optimistic for options. Makar is an automatic and then I think Toews would likely be there. Some others with a chance:
Pelech
Dobson
Weegar
Ekblad
Montour
Hamilton
Chychrun
Chabot
Rielly
Theodore
Some young guys that could really have some high upside and could really blow up over the next couple years in:
Power
Korchinski
Byram
Clarke
Guhle
Dickinson