Major international tournaments are fascinating in that they sometimes produce unlikely heroes. One NHL coach\u2019s healthy scratch might be a national team\u2019s go-to clutch star, depending on the team\u2019s depth and roster makeup.<\/p>\n
So while we\u2019ll surely see some of the world\u2019s top players deliver signature moments in Milan, we\u2019ll probably see a few surprising names come up huge for their countries.<\/p>\n
Who will be the X-Factor players? Let\u2019s take a crack at predicting one for all 12 teams, with a mix of deep sleepers and higher-end players playing on underdog teams.<\/p>\n
CANADA: Brad Marchand, F<\/p>\n
Marchand looked old, tired and slow at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago, but he might not have been 100 percent. After an injury layoff in the spring, he was a man possessed post-trade to the Florida Panthers,<\/a> coming up with big goal after big goal, playing a crucial role in helping them repeat as Stanley Cup champs. He\u2019s carried that momentum into an excellent 2025-26, leading the Panthers in goals per game and points per game, and he has multiple ways he can help Canada. If coach Jon Cooper wants to tap into Marchand\u2019s chemistry with his great friends Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, Marchand can assist a scoring line. He could work alongside his Florida teammates Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart. Marchand could also form a shift disturber line with Bennett and Tom Wilson. And whereas Bennett and Wilson are at risk of getting Canada into penalty trouble, the agitating Marchand is more likely to draw penalties by baiting opponents into bad decisions. He\u2019s playing at a high level even at 37 and brings so many intangibles, including leadership, that he has potential to impact the tournament in many ways. \u2013\u00a0Matt Larkin<\/p>\n CZECHIA: Martin Necas, F<\/p>\n It really feels like Necas\u00a0has levelled up \u2014 and then some \u2014 over the past two seasons. But these Olympics should be his biggest opportunity yet to prove he truly belongs in the same conversation as a guy like David Pastrnak. The Czechs have always had a solid collection of NHL talent, but if Necas really is legit, they\u2019ll have a much better shot at\u00a0medalling with a true two-headed monster of him and Pastrnak up front. It is beyond crazy to look back at how the\u00a0Colorado Avalanche<\/a>\u00a0navigated the whole Mikko Rantanen situation last year and realize how well they fared in emerging with that Necas package. He\u2019s been such a seamless fit in Colorado and could slot in as either a center or wing for the Czechs, who also have Tomas Hertl, Pavel Zacha, Ondrej Palat, and Radek Faksa up front, among others. \u2013\u00a0Mike Gould<\/p>\n DENMARK: Lars Eller, F<\/p>\n This is the first time we\u2019ll ever get to see Danish NHL players at the Olympics, and what an opportunity it\u2019ll be for\u00a0 Eller, who captained Denmark through the qualifiers back in 2024. Eller is one of only a small handful of active NHLers from the country, although there are some legit difference-makers, including Nikolaj Ehlers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Freddy Andersen. However, the Danes don\u2019t have a single NHL defenseman on their roster, and Eller has long been renowned for his two-way play, so don\u2019t be too surprised if \u2014 even at age 36 \u2014 he gets a\u00a0ton\u00a0of usage in every game situation. He may have only nine points in 42 games with the\u00a0Ottawa Senators<\/a>\u00a0this season, but Eller has always been a gamer, and tournaments like these tend to bring out the inner youth in even the\u00a0oldest dogs. \u2013\u00a0Mike Gould<\/p>\n FINLAND: Anton Lundell, F<\/p>\n The Finns are feeling a little cheated ahead of the Games; the loss of captain and best player Aleksander Barkov to a torn ACL in September took a bite out of the nation\u2019s chances at following up 2022\u2019s Gold Medal finish with another worthy effort. How do you replace Barkov\u2019s Selke-winning defense? Try his Florida teammate Lundell. Lundell\u2019s shutdown connection with countryman\u00a0Eetu Luostarinen\u00a0on the Panthers\u2019 third line was the secret ingredient to their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. The Lundell line hasn\u2019t fared quite as well defensively now that it functions as Florida\u2019s de facto top unit, but if Finland bench boss Antti Pennanen sticks Lundell and Luostarinen with another strong checker (Eeli Tolvanen? Joel Armia?) then hard-matches them with the other team\u2019s top unit, maybe that third-line magic Florida rode to a pair of championships can work out for Team Finland, too. At the very least, letting Lundell chew through the toughest matchups should open up some extra ice for goals-coring centermen Sebastian Aho and Roope Hintz. \u2013\u00a0Anthony Trudeau<\/p>\n FRANCE:\u00a0Yohann Auvitu, D<\/p>\n Auvitu, a 36-year-old defender with well north of 100 games played internationally, is expected to play more than 20 minutes a night as France\u2019s top blueliner. He\u2019s no stranger to playing big minutes, and he\u2019s no slouch on the power play, either. His best days are behind him, but Auvitu is always solid when he dons his nation\u2019s colors. He\u2019s strong, moves well and is rarely not one of France\u2019s top offensive defensemen. I don\u2019t expect this to be an easy tournament for Auvitu, but it\u2019s great to see him get an opportunity at the biggest stage in international hockey.\u00a0\u2013 Steven Ellis<\/p>\n GERMANY: Philipp Grubauer, G<\/p>\n You could certainly point to any of the German\u2019s top stars as an X-factor, as they\u2019ll need Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, JJ Peterka and Moritz Seider at their very best to contend in this tournament, but I\u2019m going to go with Grubauer. The key aspect of an upset in hockey is often the goaltending (I\u2019m sure Kristers Gudlevskis still haunts Canadian hockey fans), and since Grubauer is the only NHL goaltender on the German roster, he\u2019s the best bet to stand on his head. He\u2019s currently playing his best hockey as a member\u00a0of the\u00a0Seattle Kraken<\/a>\u00a0with a .916 save percentage and 22.2 5v5 goals saved above expected (which is fourth in the NHL), and it might even be the best season of his career, so he\u2019s certainly in the zone. Four prior seasons with a sub-.900 SV% in Seattle does leave some uncertainty to his game, but if he can carry over the momentum of this season into the Olympics, the Germans can do some damage, especially in a group where the second spot after the United States is up for grabs. \u2013\u00a0Scott Maxwell<\/p>\n ITALY: Daniel Tedesco, F<\/p>\n If the host Italians are to avoid embarrassment, they must find a way to trade goals with their powerful opponents, and Tedesco could play a big part in doing so. He led his nation with four goals and eight points in five games to help Italy win promotion at the Division 1A World Championship last year. Spending much of his pro career in the U.K., he was an EIHL first-team All-Star playing for the Belfast Giants in 2022-23. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds and having played college hockey at St. Cloud State, he should be comfortable with the physicality that will come in a (less than) NHL-sized rink. If any forward drags Italy into the fight for a competitive game during the group stage, it\u2019ll likely be Tedesco. \u2013\u00a0Matt Larkin<\/p>\n LATVIA: Alberts Smits, D<\/p>\n There might be no player in this tournament with a lower floor and a higher ceiling than Smits\u00a0for Latvia. He\u2019s the youngest player in the tournament and the only draft-eligible player, with a top-10 projection to boot. But considering his age, there\u2019s also a good chance he doesn\u2019t even get a significant role with the team and maybe gets into one game total. If Latvia gives him a chance, he might have a strong impact on the tournament and be a difference maker for the team. If they lean on the veterans, he might not get too many opportunities to make an impact. Regardless, just having him on the team and living the Olympic experience will be vital to his long-term development with the country, especially since he has the potential to be the best player Latvia\u2019s ever produced. If you want to go for a Latvian with a more guaranteed role,\u00a0Eduards Tralmaks\u00a0has had a great season in the AHL and could finish the tournament as their best player, but Smits certainly has the highest potential to be a game-changer. \u2013\u00a0Scott Maxwell<\/p>\n SLOVAKIA: Martin Fehervary, D<\/p>\n There\u2019s no Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara or Jaroslav Halak walking into Slovakia\u2019s Olympic locker room these days. The Slovaks will need a new generation of talent to rise up and compete by committee in 2026. Look for\u00a0Washington Capitals<\/a> defenseman Fehervary\u00a0to be that guy. The 26-year-old has continued to develop nicely on the Caps\u2019 blueline, contributing offensively and staying above water defensively. With only two other NHL defensemen on the roster (Erik Cernak and 21-year-old Simon Nemec), Fehervary should expect a more significant role than he receives on a veteran Washington blueline. Slovakia is hoping to play spoiler in a tough group that features Sweden and Finland. And with experience from four World Championships under his belt, I\u2019m betting on Fehervary emerging as a leader and steadying presence.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Paul Pidutti<\/p>\n SWEDEN: Joel Eriksson Ek, F<\/p>\n On a team with Norris Trophy winners, Stanley Cup champions, and dynamic forwards, Eriksson Ek\u00a0might be Sweden\u2019s most important player at the Olympics. While the Tre Kronor have plenty of offensive talent, going toe-to-toe in a scoring contest with heavyweights Canada and USA won\u2019t be their priority. Enter Eriksson Ek \u2014 an unheralded, tenacious, two-way weapon that has the tools to frustrate and shut down the world\u2019s best. He has comfortably\u00a0maintained a positive on-ice 5-on-5 goal differential for the\u00a0Minnesota Wild<\/a>\u00a0each of the last seven seasons, earning Selke votes every year since 2020-21. At the 4 Nations Face-Off, Eriksson Ek\u2019s late goal forced overtime in the opener against Canada. If Sweden wins a medal, expect the Wild\u2019s best-kept secret to be its breakout star \u2014 his relentless, grinding style should be a model for all teams to embrace in a short, win-or-go-home event on the global stage. \u2013 Paul Pidutti<\/p>\n SWITZERLAND: Leonardo Genoni, G\u00a0<\/p>\n Most NHL fans aren\u2019t familiar with Genoni. But anyone who follows international hockey knows how great he is. At 38, he shows no signs of slowing down with EV Zug. In fact, he\u2019s still one of the top goalies in Switzerland. He\u2019s a former NL MVP who has won the league title seven times and the Spengler Cup twice and has three silver medals at the World Championship. Genoni is coming off one of the greatest goaltending performances in tournament history, registering a .953 SV% and four shutouts through seven games back in May. So, yeah, he\u2019s excellent, and he should have the leg up over Akira Schmid, even with Schmid\u2019s NHL gig in Vegas. Switzerland will need excellent goaltending since they won\u2019t have as much offensive depth as others in their own group. Genoni is absolutely capable of it.\u00a0\u2013 Steven Ellis<\/p>\n USA: Matt Boldy, F<\/p>\n The USA brain trust loves the idea of a team of All-Stars playing simple, north-south hockey at 1000 mph, but there will be times during this tournament that they\u2019ll need a moment or two of individual inspiration to avoid OT and a potential upset. I like Boldy, who was excellent on Dylan Larkin\u2019s wing at the 4 Nations, to be the guy who produces those. Don\u2019t let the babyface fool you; Boldly is an absolute bull with the puck on his stick, a combination of strength and stickhandling who can drag defenders wherever he wants to go, which is usually the blue paint. Unlike Jack Hughes or Kyle Connor, Boldy\u2019s at no risk of losing ice time in close games over defensive concerns, either. His irresistible drives to the net and improved finishing touch (his 32 G in 54 GP are already a career high) could bust tight contests open for a U.S. team that\u2019s drawn criticism for leaving some of its most creative players at home. \u2013\u00a0Anthony Trudeau<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n Recently by Daily Faceoff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Major international tournaments are fascinating in that they sometimes produce unlikely heroes. 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