Team Canada is in danger of losing another big-name fan if they don\u2019t select Tom Wilson for their roster at the 2026 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n
Dylan Strome, a Mississauga, Ontario native, agreed with recent comments made by TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking of Wilson, you\u2019re a Team Canada guy,\u201d RMNB\u2019s Katie Adler began after a recent Capitals practice. \u201cWhat are you seeing there (in terms of his Olympic chances)?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see what Bissonnette said recently?\u201d Strome replied. \u201cThat\u2019s how I feel. I\u2019ll say that.\u201d<\/p>\n Bissonnette, nearly a week ago, appeared on Monumental Sports Network\u2019s Hockey Lifers podcast<\/a> and told Bruce Boudreau and Jeff Marek that, \u201cIf [Wilson] doesn\u2019t play for Team Canada, I\u2019ll be rooting for the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n Strome\u2019s comments come after Hockey Canada executives recently met in Florida to discuss their 25-man roster ahead of the December 31 roster submission deadline.<\/p>\n According to recent reporting from The Athletic\u2019s Pierre LeBrun<\/a>, the management group wanted to come out of their meetings with a majority of the team decided, with seven or eight spots remaining up for debate. Wilson will likely be among the bubble players discussed<\/a>. The Capitals\u2019 right wing is already on their radar, as he was one of 42 players invited to Canada\u2019s National Teams Orientation Camp this summer.<\/p>\n So far, the 31-year-old Wilson has done all that he can to impress Team Canada decision makers, including Doug Armstrong (GM, St. Louis Blues), Julien BriseBois (GM, Tampa Bay Lightning), Jim Nill (GM, Dallas Stars), Don Sweeney (GM, Boston Bruins), and Kyle Dubas (GM, Pittsburgh Penguins). He currently leads the Capitals in goals (17) and points (32), putting him on pace for career highs in each category (45 goals and 85 points).<\/p>\n Wilson plays in all situations for the Capitals, including on the penalty kill, where he averages 2:03 of shorthanded ice time per game. He is also one of head coach Spencer Carbery\u2019s first options to come off the bench with the Caps leading at the end of games.<\/p>\n In October, Wilson even posted a three-point night in front of Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re a kid, it\u2019s the Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal, that\u2019s everything \u2014 that\u2019s your biggest and wildest dreams,\u201d he said during Capitals\u2019 Training Camp<\/a>.<\/p>\n While Canada will have plenty of elite offensive talent like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon, they\u2019ll need a small group of forwards willing to play more defensive shutdown roles, which Wilson could excel in.<\/p>\n