Team Canada roster analysis: Olympic snubs, positional outlooks, more

Canada unveiled its 25-man roster for the 2026 Olympics on Wednesday - 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies. Let's discuss snubs, positional outlooks, and more ahead of the Feb. 11-22 men's hockey tournament in Milan, Italy. (Note: Players in bold were named to the roster back in June.)

Forwards

Notable snubs: Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Morgan Geekie, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Mark Scheifele

Bedard, Scheifele, and Johnston all rank in the top 10 in NHL points per game among Canadian skaters. Geekie's 25 goals sit second in the country.

There's no denying that general manager Doug Armstrong left a boatload of talent off the announced roster. Yet with a dose of context, none of the forward "snubs" listed above qualify as especially controversial.

Bedard and Jarvis are injured and don't have concrete return dates. Bennett is having a down year. Johnston, Geekie, and Scheifele are relatively easy to skip over as there are better options to fill their roles of two-way center (Johnston), sniper (Geekie), and offensive catalyst (Scheifele).

Bedard's exclusion will make headlines because the 2023 first overall pick is a household name in the middle of a fantastic season (44 points in 31 games). But the injury gave Armstrong an out. What if Bedard struggles upon his return?

Bennett is a proven playoff performer who thrived at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. However, shutdown center Cirelli is one of coach Jon Cooper's guys - nine years and two Stanley Cups together in Tampa Bay - and the bench boss had a heavy influence on the bottom of the roster.

Speaking of injuries, NHL teams will play roughly 15 games each between now and the Olympics. There's a good chance that several forwards named to the team Wednesday will be on the shelf come February. Perhaps Bedard and Bennett make their Olympic debuts after all. We'll see.

Canada is returning most of its 4 Nations forwards. Celebrini, Suzuki, Horvat, and Wilson are additions to a group that's gaining an extra body due to the larger Olympic roster. The ascendant Celebrini and matured Suzuki were no-brainers, while Horvat and Wilson bring versatile skill sets and ample size.

Positional outlook: Canada has the finest collection of forwards in the world.

For starters, McDavid and MacKinnon are the first- and second-best players on the planet. The scoring leaderboard currently reads McDavid (69 points), MacKinnon (66), and Celebrini (60). Celebrini may be 19, but he's arguably already a top-10 NHLer. Oh, and Canada has a fourth first overall pick up front in presumed captain, past golden goal-scorer, and all-timer, Sidney Crosby.

Mix McDavid, MacKinnon, and Crosby, with speed demon Point, cerebral sniper Reinhart, and worker bee Hagel, and Cooper's got himself a pair of certifiably lethal scoring lines. The coaching staff could assemble an interesting two-way third line of Suzuki between Celebrini and Marner, and a fun blue-collar fourth line of Cirelli between agitators Marchand and Wilson. (Horvat and Stone could crack the top 12, too. The possibilities are endless.)

I like how the management group didn't overemphasize high-end skill or focus too much on filling specific roles. In other words, the forward group is well-balanced, and I wouldn't label any of the picks a reach. I expect Cirelli and Hagel to lead the penalty kill and the first power-play unit (probably McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Reinhart, and Makar) to dominate.

Defensemen

Notable snubs: Evan Bouchard, Jakob Chychrun, Matthew Schaefer

Canada's brain trust decided to bring back the same eight defensemen who suited up at 4 Nations, despite Schaefer's sensational showing as a rookie.

If I were in charge, I would've seriously considered Schaefer, if not picked him. He's already established himself as one of the nation's top eight D-men. Plus, going to Milan would have been an invaluable experience for an 18-year-old who's set to star on the 2028 World Cup and 2030 Olympic teams. Then again, Schaefer isn't a massive snub since I wouldn't consider any of the left-handed defensemen selected Wednesday as unworthy.

The angle for Bouchard making the team was simple: Who's going to run the top power-play unit if Makar gets injured? The rebuttal: Morrissey and Marner are excellent choices.

Chychrun feels like a victim of circumstance. If he were having the season he's having (first among defensemen in goals) and fresh off a 4 Nations run, then he's off to the Olympics. Instead, management saw no reason to remix the blue-line personnel.

Positional outlook: The United States is in its own tier in terms of depth of talent on the back end. Sweden's arguably second in the global pecking order. Yet, Canada's no slouch. The third-ranked blue line is a major strength.

It all starts with the presumed first pair. Makar is the gold standard at the position, and Toews has long been one of the NHL's most underappreciated players. Expect the Avalanche duo to shoulder a significant workload in Italy.

The rest of the group is a nice blend of mobility, offensive creativity, play killing, and physicality. Morrissey, Theodore, and Harley are dynamic forces in all three zones. Doughty, who won Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, brings veteran savvy and shift-to-shift reliability. Sanheim and Parayko offer strong defensive sticks, net-front strength, and special-teams utility.

"Parayko and Sanheim, we call it going through a car wash. They're all arms and legs. It's hard to get to the net," Armstrong said Wednesday.

Goalies

Notable snubs: Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood

Avalanche teammates Blackwood and Wedgewood have been phenomenal this season, ranking first and second in save percentage among Canadian netminders.

Selecting Blackwood would have been hooked around promise and upside. A large, athletic netminder with elite physical traits, Blackwood has recently proven that his A-game is as good as any other Canadian goalie's A-game.

A Wedgewood pick would have been tied to intangibles. The 33-year-old journeyman is known for checking his ego at the dressing room door. He could have fit in as an overqualified, no-frills, cheerleader-type No. 3 goalie.

Positional outlook: Goaltending is Canada's clear weakness. Unlike in previous Olympic cycles, there isn't a single star-caliber goalie to latch onto.

Binnington is the lone netminder returning from 4 Nations, with Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault losing their spots due to injury and poor performance.

Binnington, in fact, has been one of the worst goalies in 2025-26. Despite his .870 SV% sitting 58th out of the 60 guys who've appeared in 12 or more games, Armstrong said there was little internal debate over his inclusion.

After all, Binnington showed well at the 4 Nations, especially in the final game, and is a Cup champion. "Jordan's resume speaks for itself," said Armstrong, who's also GM of the Blues and drafted Binnington in the third round in 2011.

My take: Don't discount Binnington's puck skills. Canadian players and coaches loved how helpful he was on breakouts during 4 Nations action.

Thompson is among the league leaders in SV% and goals saved above expected for the second straight season. With how consistent he's been in the Capitals' crease, Thompson deserves Canada's starter job.

Kuemper is a 35-year-old Cup winner enjoying a strong year with the Kings. He's the third-stringer unless something drastic changes over the next month.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).