Boston's David Pastrnak, seen here scoring the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship-winning goal for Czechia, is a deadly sniper. But which Czech NHLers will provide secondary scoring at the 2026 Olympics?
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATT ZAMBONIN
The clock is ticking. There are just over four months until the start of the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament. But the NHL season is already underway. And early-season performances in the world’s top pro league can potentially shape outcomes in Milan in February.
So let’s check out some key NHL storylines to watch as we await the thrilling return of NHLers to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
1) Who will emerge as Canada’s #1 goalie?
Jordan Binnington, the longtime St. Louis Blues starter and a two-time IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship participant, appears to have the inside track. The 32-year-old shone in Canada’s 3-2 overtime win over the archrival U.S. in the 4 Nations Cup.
That said, this is not 2002, when the Canadians brought a Hockey Hall of Fame-contending trio of Martin Brodeur, Curtis Joseph, and Ed Belfour. Binnington is not a lock. The Hockey Canada braintrust will also look closely at the likes of Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights), Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals), and Samuel Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens) – the latter backstopped Canada to gold at the 2023 Worlds in Tampere. The door remains open for someone to steal the top job.
2) Which 2014 NHL Olympians will go to Milan?
Twelve years is an eternity in hockey. Yet some NHL stars who played in Sochi are still going strong. Canada announced Sidney Crosby among its first six choices for 2026. Switzerland did the same with Roman Josi and Nino Niederreiter. Czechia’s Ondrej Palat and Radko Gudas also received that honour.
Defenceman Drew Doughty, if healthy and excelling at age 35, could join Crosby in Milan. Mikael Granlund – one of Finland’s top game-breakers with World Championship gold from 2011 and 2022 – should get another chance to shine at age 33. The list of potential 2014 returnees is surprisingly long.
3) Will stars in new NHL homes get turbocharged?
Sometimes a change of NHL scenery can spark success on Olympic ice.
Will Mitch Marner take his two-way game to new heights this year? If so, the former Toronto Maple Leaf and newest Vegas Golden Knights star could be impactful for Canada in Milan. How about Matias Maccelli, the nifty Finn who’ll try to fill the gap left playmaking-wise after Marner’s departure from Toronto? The 24-year-old, traded by the Utah Mammoth in June, could be a bigger factor than expected for Suomi in February.
And if the Danes want to pull off a massive Olympic upset – similar to their 2-1 World Championship quarter-final ouster of Canada on home ice in Herning this year – they’ll need big-time help from Nikolaj Ehlers again. The ex-Winnipeg Jets ace may benefit from an expanded role with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2025-26.
4) Can Finland find a Barkov substitute?
Nobody said it would be easy for the Finns to defend their historic 2022 Olympic title. But their odds looked far better with Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist who has since won two Stanley Cups and three Selke Trophies. Since the towering centre suffered a pre-season knee injury, Finnish coach Antti Pennanen must decide how best to address this gaping void, as you can’t really “replace” the unique Barkov.
Budding Panthers star Anton Lundell – nicknamed “Baby Barkov” – could step up here. Playmaking Carolina pivot Sebastian Aho, who received Selke votes last season, is also strong on the draw and solid defensively. And Dallas Stars superstar Mikko Rantanen, who entered the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation during the 2025 playoffs, will look to pick up the slack as well. Of course, the Finns thrive on being underestimated. Stay tuned.
5) Will key Swedish NHL forwards bounce back?
On paper, Sweden looks like the third-most likely nation to capture men’s gold in Milan after the Canadians and Americans. However, for Tre Kronor to triumph for the third time ever (Lillehammer 1994, Turin 2006), it will need some big-name forwards to recapture their previous excellence and carry that over to the Winter Games.
Case point: Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks. The 2019 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, who peaked with 102 points in 2022-23, has struggled over the last two seasons. Pettersson could be an Olympic game-changer if he channels his creativity and laser shot in the right direction. Like “Petey,” Elias Lindholm is also aiming to rediscover his game after signing a big long-term deal. The Boston Bruins forward, who owns gold (2017) and bronze (2025) medals from the Worlds, has more to give than the 47 points he mustered in Beantown last year.
Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers) wants to prove that his 20 goals last season – his lowest total since 2016-17 – was just a temporary dip. And William Karlsson (Vegas) and Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota) are hungry to rebound after injuries hampered them in 2024-25.
6) Who will crack the deep U.S. defence?
For most countries, star defencemen like Adam Fox (New York Rangers) and John Carlson (Washington) would be Olympic must-haves. Yet many projected U.S. rosters have Fox on the outside looking in, and the 35-year-old Carlson was not invited to the Americans’ Olympic orientation camp in August.
2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes (Vancouver) is a lock, but how about his younger brother Luke (New Jersey)? Zach Werenski (Columbus) faces pressure to keep shining after a career-best 82 points last year and a gold-medal victory in Stockholm to end the U.S.’s 92-year World Championship drought. Whether it’s 23-year-old Brock Faber (Minnesota) or 36-year-old Ryan McDonagh (Tampa Bay), few American blueliners can say they’ve sewn up an Olympic spot.
7) Can NHLers give Czechs, Germans secondary scoring?
Czechia’s David Pastrnak (Boston) and Germany’s Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton) are perennial contenders to win NHL scoring crowns. After them, both nations see a drop-off.
Czech forwards like Martin Necas (Colorado) and Tomas Hertl (Vegas) bring scoring punch too. Yet if emerging talents like Jiri Kulich (Buffalo) or Filip Chytil (Vancouver) can bust out pre-Olympics, that will immeasurably boost coach Radim Rulik’s gold medal chances.
With due respect to scoring forwards like Tim Stutzle (Ottawa) and JJ Peterka (Utah), the Germans will likely need next-level contributions from winger Lukas Reichel (Chicago) and defenceman Moritz Seider (Detroit) as well to aspire to more than the quarter-finals.
8) Will Swiss, Slovaks find an NHL spark?
Having lost the last two World Championship finals to the Czechs (2024) and Americans (2025), the Swiss would dearly love validation by winning their first Olympic medal – of any shade – since 1948’s bronze. Without new Swiss superstars on the rise, Nico Hischier (New Jersey) and Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles) probably need to work themselves into the NHL All-Star conversation alongside Roman Josi in order for their country to have a shot in Milan.
Slovakia – who not only won the 2022 Olympic bronze but also had the MVP in 17-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky – faces an even tougher uphill climb in February. Unless NHL kids like defenceman Simon Nemec (New Jersey) and Dalibor Dvorsky (St. Louis) exceed all expectations this year, the Slovaks’ hopes of medalling again are slim.
9) Can brilliant NHL individuals elevate Latvia or France?
Olympic hockey is, of course, a team effort. But if France gets good mileage out of its lone NHLer, forward Alexandre Texier (St. Louis), its chances of making some noise in Milan certainly go up. He has struggled with injuries and other issues in recent seasons, but is in his prime at age 26 and could easily top the 11 points in 31 games he mustered last season.
As for Latvia, memories of how goalie Kristers Gudlevskis delivered a brilliant 55-save performance in a 2-1 quarter-final loss to eventual champion Canada could provide inspiration. Fellow netminder Arturs Silovs, the 2023 Worlds MVP in Latvia's historic bronze-medal run, is ready for new challenges with the Pittsburgh organization after leading the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks to the 2025 Calder Cup. And if Elvis Merzlikins, 31, can also regain his confidence with Columbus after several tough years, his Baltic homeland will be all set in goal for the Olympics.
10) Which dark horse candidates will make the cut?
There are older NHLers who have never participated in an Olympics and are on the bubble, like Sweden’s Mikael Backlund or Canada’s Ryan O’Reilly. There are young aces who need a strong start to crack a deep lineup, like the U.S.’s Cole Caufield or Canada’s Connor Bedard. Who will surprise the pundits?
So let’s check out some key NHL storylines to watch as we await the thrilling return of NHLers to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
1) Who will emerge as Canada’s #1 goalie?
Jordan Binnington, the longtime St. Louis Blues starter and a two-time IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship participant, appears to have the inside track. The 32-year-old shone in Canada’s 3-2 overtime win over the archrival U.S. in the 4 Nations Cup.
That said, this is not 2002, when the Canadians brought a Hockey Hall of Fame-contending trio of Martin Brodeur, Curtis Joseph, and Ed Belfour. Binnington is not a lock. The Hockey Canada braintrust will also look closely at the likes of Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights), Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals), and Samuel Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens) – the latter backstopped Canada to gold at the 2023 Worlds in Tampere. The door remains open for someone to steal the top job.
2) Which 2014 NHL Olympians will go to Milan?
Twelve years is an eternity in hockey. Yet some NHL stars who played in Sochi are still going strong. Canada announced Sidney Crosby among its first six choices for 2026. Switzerland did the same with Roman Josi and Nino Niederreiter. Czechia’s Ondrej Palat and Radko Gudas also received that honour.
Defenceman Drew Doughty, if healthy and excelling at age 35, could join Crosby in Milan. Mikael Granlund – one of Finland’s top game-breakers with World Championship gold from 2011 and 2022 – should get another chance to shine at age 33. The list of potential 2014 returnees is surprisingly long.
3) Will stars in new NHL homes get turbocharged?
Sometimes a change of NHL scenery can spark success on Olympic ice.
Will Mitch Marner take his two-way game to new heights this year? If so, the former Toronto Maple Leaf and newest Vegas Golden Knights star could be impactful for Canada in Milan. How about Matias Maccelli, the nifty Finn who’ll try to fill the gap left playmaking-wise after Marner’s departure from Toronto? The 24-year-old, traded by the Utah Mammoth in June, could be a bigger factor than expected for Suomi in February.
And if the Danes want to pull off a massive Olympic upset – similar to their 2-1 World Championship quarter-final ouster of Canada on home ice in Herning this year – they’ll need big-time help from Nikolaj Ehlers again. The ex-Winnipeg Jets ace may benefit from an expanded role with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2025-26.
4) Can Finland find a Barkov substitute?
Nobody said it would be easy for the Finns to defend their historic 2022 Olympic title. But their odds looked far better with Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist who has since won two Stanley Cups and three Selke Trophies. Since the towering centre suffered a pre-season knee injury, Finnish coach Antti Pennanen must decide how best to address this gaping void, as you can’t really “replace” the unique Barkov.
Budding Panthers star Anton Lundell – nicknamed “Baby Barkov” – could step up here. Playmaking Carolina pivot Sebastian Aho, who received Selke votes last season, is also strong on the draw and solid defensively. And Dallas Stars superstar Mikko Rantanen, who entered the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation during the 2025 playoffs, will look to pick up the slack as well. Of course, the Finns thrive on being underestimated. Stay tuned.
5) Will key Swedish NHL forwards bounce back?
On paper, Sweden looks like the third-most likely nation to capture men’s gold in Milan after the Canadians and Americans. However, for Tre Kronor to triumph for the third time ever (Lillehammer 1994, Turin 2006), it will need some big-name forwards to recapture their previous excellence and carry that over to the Winter Games.
Case point: Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks. The 2019 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, who peaked with 102 points in 2022-23, has struggled over the last two seasons. Pettersson could be an Olympic game-changer if he channels his creativity and laser shot in the right direction. Like “Petey,” Elias Lindholm is also aiming to rediscover his game after signing a big long-term deal. The Boston Bruins forward, who owns gold (2017) and bronze (2025) medals from the Worlds, has more to give than the 47 points he mustered in Beantown last year.
Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers) wants to prove that his 20 goals last season – his lowest total since 2016-17 – was just a temporary dip. And William Karlsson (Vegas) and Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota) are hungry to rebound after injuries hampered them in 2024-25.
6) Who will crack the deep U.S. defence?
For most countries, star defencemen like Adam Fox (New York Rangers) and John Carlson (Washington) would be Olympic must-haves. Yet many projected U.S. rosters have Fox on the outside looking in, and the 35-year-old Carlson was not invited to the Americans’ Olympic orientation camp in August.
2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes (Vancouver) is a lock, but how about his younger brother Luke (New Jersey)? Zach Werenski (Columbus) faces pressure to keep shining after a career-best 82 points last year and a gold-medal victory in Stockholm to end the U.S.’s 92-year World Championship drought. Whether it’s 23-year-old Brock Faber (Minnesota) or 36-year-old Ryan McDonagh (Tampa Bay), few American blueliners can say they’ve sewn up an Olympic spot.
7) Can NHLers give Czechs, Germans secondary scoring?
Czechia’s David Pastrnak (Boston) and Germany’s Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton) are perennial contenders to win NHL scoring crowns. After them, both nations see a drop-off.
Czech forwards like Martin Necas (Colorado) and Tomas Hertl (Vegas) bring scoring punch too. Yet if emerging talents like Jiri Kulich (Buffalo) or Filip Chytil (Vancouver) can bust out pre-Olympics, that will immeasurably boost coach Radim Rulik’s gold medal chances.
With due respect to scoring forwards like Tim Stutzle (Ottawa) and JJ Peterka (Utah), the Germans will likely need next-level contributions from winger Lukas Reichel (Chicago) and defenceman Moritz Seider (Detroit) as well to aspire to more than the quarter-finals.
8) Will Swiss, Slovaks find an NHL spark?
Having lost the last two World Championship finals to the Czechs (2024) and Americans (2025), the Swiss would dearly love validation by winning their first Olympic medal – of any shade – since 1948’s bronze. Without new Swiss superstars on the rise, Nico Hischier (New Jersey) and Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles) probably need to work themselves into the NHL All-Star conversation alongside Roman Josi in order for their country to have a shot in Milan.
Slovakia – who not only won the 2022 Olympic bronze but also had the MVP in 17-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky – faces an even tougher uphill climb in February. Unless NHL kids like defenceman Simon Nemec (New Jersey) and Dalibor Dvorsky (St. Louis) exceed all expectations this year, the Slovaks’ hopes of medalling again are slim.
9) Can brilliant NHL individuals elevate Latvia or France?
Olympic hockey is, of course, a team effort. But if France gets good mileage out of its lone NHLer, forward Alexandre Texier (St. Louis), its chances of making some noise in Milan certainly go up. He has struggled with injuries and other issues in recent seasons, but is in his prime at age 26 and could easily top the 11 points in 31 games he mustered last season.
As for Latvia, memories of how goalie Kristers Gudlevskis delivered a brilliant 55-save performance in a 2-1 quarter-final loss to eventual champion Canada could provide inspiration. Fellow netminder Arturs Silovs, the 2023 Worlds MVP in Latvia's historic bronze-medal run, is ready for new challenges with the Pittsburgh organization after leading the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks to the 2025 Calder Cup. And if Elvis Merzlikins, 31, can also regain his confidence with Columbus after several tough years, his Baltic homeland will be all set in goal for the Olympics.
10) Which dark horse candidates will make the cut?
There are older NHLers who have never participated in an Olympics and are on the bubble, like Sweden’s Mikael Backlund or Canada’s Ryan O’Reilly. There are young aces who need a strong start to crack a deep lineup, like the U.S.’s Cole Caufield or Canada’s Connor Bedard. Who will surprise the pundits?