With Steven Ellis<\/p>\n
We all know the feeling. Halloween ends, and by the time the last morsel of candy drops into the final kid\u2019s bag, the Christmas decorations and ads start popping up, and society enters the holiday season whether we want it to or not. It creeps up in a hurry.<\/p>\n
We might end up feeling the same about the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The NHL season started less than a month ago but, suddenly, the World Series is over, the calendar has shifted to November, and we\u2019re not even two months out from the 12 men\u2019s hockey nations at the 2026 Winter Games submitting their rosters.<\/p>\n
As of Dec. 31, every country must narrow its squad down to 22 skaters and three goaltenders. It\u2019s thus time to update our latest roster projections now that we\u2019ve seen a month of NHL game action. Here\u2019s how Steven Ellis and I have the teams shaping up \u2013\u00a0starting with Canada.<\/p>\n
FORWARDS (14) \u2013\u00a0Matt Larkin\u2019s picks<\/p>\n
Mark StoneConnor McDavidBrayden PointSidney CrosbyNathan MacKinnonSam ReinhartBrandon HagelAnthony CirelliMitch MarnerMacklin CelebriniNick SuzukiSeth Jarvis\u00a0Mark ScheifeleTom Wilson<\/p>\n
OUT: Sam Bennett
IN: Mark Scheifele<\/p>\n
As usual, Canada has endless permutations to consider and could make a legit gold-medal-caliber forward group entirely out of players who won\u2019t make the Milan team. For now, I\u2019m sticking with the first three 4 Nations Face-Off lines, though Stone\u2019s recovery from a wrist injury will be worth monitoring as the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> have him on LTIR. The most recent updates haven\u2019t given any indication he\u2019ll be out deep into the winter.<\/p>\n Biggest flex: Scheifele is scoring simply too much to be denied. I know Bennett played an important role as a tone setter for Canada at the 4 Nations, but he was a healthy scratch to open the tourney and has struggled early this season as Florida\u2019s de factor No. 1 center with Aleksander Barkov out. We have to allow for at least a little bit of recency bias in the roster projection. So maybe Scheifele comes aboard as an incredibly accurate shooter who can help the power play if need be.<\/p>\n Toughest cut: Connor Bedard seems to have levelled up this season but, given Celebrini\u2019s more complete game and strong play at the 2025 World Championship, he gets my \u201cyoung guy\u201d nod. I could see Brad Marchand making this team, but he\u2019s 37 and wore down last winter; he played some of his worst hockey of the year at the 4 Nations, seemingly struggling to keep up with the breakneck pace. Robert Thomas, meanwhile, can\u2019t catch a break: for the second consecutive season, he got hurt in the fall and missed a crucial window to play his way onto the team. He\u2019ll have to heat up in a hurry once he returns.<\/p>\n Also considered: Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Robert Thomas, Mathew Barzal, Wyatt Johnston, Travis Konecny<\/p>\n FORWARDS (14) \u2013\u00a0Steven Ellis\u2019 picks<\/p>\n Brayden PointConnor McDavidMitch MarnerSidney CrosbyNathan MacKinnonMacklin CelebriniSam ReinhartMark ScheifeleConnor BedardMark StoneNick SuzukiSeth JarvisAnthony CirelliTom Wilson<\/p>\n This is where the real power lies. Canada has three of the top five scorers this season (Scheifele, MacKinnon and Celebrini), with two of them missing out on the 4 Nations roster. In fact, some of the most exciting players on this roster are guys who missed out in February \u2013 Celebrini and Bedard, in particular. It\u2019s a deep group that can overpower you with skill. There\u2019s some toughness there, too, but Canada\u2019s real strength is what they do with the puck, and they should lean into that 100 percent.<\/p>\n Biggest flex: Crosby can play with anyone. But if Celebrini is on this team, and he should be, put him beside No. 87. The pair were absolutely electric at the World Championship, outsmarting just about everyone every single shift. It felt like Celebrini understood Crosby\u2019s decision-making and passing choices better than anyone Crosby has skated alongside in recent years. Crosby and MacKinnon are a safe pair, but adding Celebrini brings another level of dynamism that can\u2019t be matched.<\/p>\n Toughest cut: With how Johnny T has been playing in Toronto, it\u2019s hard to keep him off this group. It feels like he found new life last year, and his new contract makes him one of the best bargain forwards in the league. But there\u2019s no salary cap at the Olympics, and with so much center depth to choose from, Tavares was just the odd-man out here. <\/p>\n Also considered: John Tavares, Brad Marchand, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Quinton Byfield, Sean Couturier, Mathew Barzal<\/p>\n DEFENSEMEN (8) \u2013\u00a0Matt Larkin\u2019s picks<\/p>\n Devon ToewsCale MakarThomas HarleyMacKenzie WeegarJosh MorrisseyTravis SanheimMatthew SchaeferShea Theodore<\/p>\n IN: Matthew Schaefer, Shea Theodore Recency bias for the win! Yes, Canada has very rarely awarded crucial roster spots to teenagers for best-on-best competition. But Schaefer has played so well this season at both ends of the ice that he\u2019s undeniably one of the best eight Canadian blueliners right now, is he not? Canada took a 20-year-old Drew Doughty to the 2010 Olympics, for what it\u2019s worth. It\u2019s also fascinating that Harley has gone from emergency fill-in at the 4 Nations to, in my mind, a borderline lock to make this team.<\/p>\n Biggest flex: Schaefer, obviously. It\u2019s more likely Colton Parayko gets the spot again, but that would be a mistake in my mind: an eye-test-only player, he was arguably Canada\u2019s worst defender at the 4 Nations.<\/p>\n Toughest cut: I understand that Evan Bouchard didn\u2019t make the 4 Nations team and has played worse this season so far, but I wish he\u2019d get stronger consideration. His all-around game is underrated, the mental errors and highlight-reel blunders seemingly overshadowing all the good things he does, and his shot would be a weapon on the power play.<\/p>\n Also considered: Evan Bouchard, Colton Parayko, Dougie Hamilton, Jakob Chychrun, Noah Dobson<\/p>\n DEFENSEMEN (8) \u2013\u00a0Steven Ellis\u2019 picks<\/p>\n Devon ToewsCale MakarJosh MorrisseyThomas HarleyShea TheodoreTravis SanheimMatthew SchaeferColton Parayko<\/p>\n Biggest Flex: I\u2019m not even sure this is a flex, but while Matt took out Parayko, I feel like he\u2019s going to make the team regardless. He\u2019s huge, does a good job of getting the puck out of the zone and can shut you down. While Schaefer is definitely the exciting pick here, Parayko feels like a safer choice to play \u2013\u00a0partly due to his age, but also because there isn\u2019t another defender in the lineup who\u2019ll do what he does. Canada won\u2019t expect much from their No. 7-8 defenders (unless there\u2019s an injury), but you might as well prepare in case you need some shutdown help.<\/p>\n Toughest Cut: Is Bouchard good enough for best on best competition? Many don\u2019t think so. But if you limit his defensive responsibilities and let him focus on adding a bit of offensive punch if things go south, he can get the job done. If Schaefer doesn\u2019t make the cut, I could see Bouchard being the No. 8 defender they call upon to play on the second power play.<\/p>\n GOALTENDERS (3) \u2013\u00a0Matt Larkin\u2019s picks<\/p>\n Jordan BinningtonMackenzie BlackwoodAdin Hill<\/p>\n IN: Mackenzie Blackwood What a mess. Hill is hurt, Sam Montembeault has been arguably the NHL\u2019s worst goalie this season, and Binnington has fared poorly along with his St. Louis Blues<\/a> early in 2025-26 as well. Binnington still keeps the gig on the grounds of standing tall as Canada\u2019s championship-winning starter at the 4 Nations, but the depth chart could see a shakeup despite the fact that Binnington, Hill and Montembeault were the only goalies invited to Canada\u2019s summer orientation camp.<\/p>\n Biggest flex & toughest cut: They\u2019re the same, so I\u2019ll address them together. Where the heck is Logan Thompson? He has been Canada\u2019s best goalie for the past 13 months, so he should be starting, not just making the team. But he\u2019s been ignored by the Canada brass repeatedly, having never even received a call about the 4 Nations last year when he was in the midst of a season that landed him fourth in the Vezina Trophy vote. The between-the-lines chatter: he\u2019s not viewed as a good dressing room fit, particularly if his old Vegas teammate Hill makes the team and especially because Canada\u2019s coaching staff includes current Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy and former head coach Pete DeBoer. Canada would be wise to pick Thompson, who seems to fit into the Washington Capitals\u2019 <\/a>room just fine, but I\u2019ll be shocked if it happens.<\/p>\n Also considered: Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper, Sam Montembeault, Cam Talbot, Jake Allen<\/p>\n GOALTENDERS (3) \u2013\u00a0Steven Ellis\u2019 picks<\/p>\n Jordan BinningtonMackenzie BlackwoodAdin Hill<\/p>\n Ah, the never-ending Canadian goaltender question. Most observers were scared about Binnington being the No. 1 \u2013 and, honestly, it was hard not to be. But when they needed him to shine, he did, outdueling Connor Hellebuyck in the title fight. Binnington\u2019s numbers have been ugly in St. Louis, but that\u2019s partly a team issue, too. Canada\u2019s best goaltender is Thompson \u2013 and if you read above, you already know why he wasn\u2019t included. Canada should be fine in the round-robin, which will hopefully give someone like Binnington enough time to reach peak performance for when it really matters.<\/p>\n Toughest cut: I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m saying this, especially because of how last year went, but\u2026 Tristan Jarry. He\u2019s off to a dynamite start to essentially revive his career in a way nobody saw coming. Statistically, Jarry deserves to be on this team right now. But would Hockey Canada take someone with very little history with the group, internationally? His only international experience came back at the 2011 U-17 World Challenge. That means no World Juniors and no World Championship for the 30-year-old. If he keeps things up until December, though, they might have no choice but to take him.<\/p>\n Also considered: Stuart Skinner, Samuel Montembeault, Tristan Jarry, Logan Thompson<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n Recently by Matt Larkin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With Steven Ellis We all know the feeling. 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OUT: Evan Bouchard, Colton Parayko<\/p>\n
OUT: Sam Montembeault<\/p>\n