8 Oilers players who could compete at the 2026 Olympics
The Edmonton Oilers have the potential to send up to eight players to compete for their respective countries at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
With the three pools set for the Olympic men’s hockey tournament, fans are starting to get excited about the return of a true best-on-best international tournament that includes NHL players.
If things hold, it will be the first time that NHL players will compete at the Olympics since 2014 and the first time that Oilers captain Connor McDavid will have a chance to represent Canada at the event.
While McDavid will be the Oilers player that most fans will have an eye on, there is the potential for a lot more members of the team to make the trip as well.
Here are eight Oilers who will be fighting for spots on their respective Olympic squads:
1. Connor McDavid
Country: Canada
If McDavid is healthy and able to play, he will absolutely be a lock to make Team Canada’s Olympic team in 2026 and could captain the team as well.
He is the undisputed best player on the planet and that is not expected to change all that much ahead of the 2026 Games. Many will be looking forward to him possibly sharing a line with Sidney Crosby in what could be a much overdue passing of the torch moment for the two players.
2. Leon Draisaitl
Country: Germany
Similar to McDavid, Leon Draisaitl has already clinched his spot at the Olympics with the German national team and will, in all likelihood, be the team’s captain at the Games.
The 28-year-old has already secured his place in history as the most successful German-born player in the history of the NHL and was able to win his country’s honour of being the first hockey player to be named German Sportsmen of the Year back in 2020.
3. Evan Bouchard
Country: Canada
If last season was an indication of what’s to come from Evan Bouchard, a spot on Canada’s Olympic team could be coming soon.
His 82 points last season was the second-most from a Canadian blueliner, behind only Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar. Bouchard is currently one of the league’s most elite offensive defenders as well as one of the most prolific powerplay quarterbacks.
The 24-year-old will have to keep up that good work if he wants to crack a spot, but early returns are encouraging.
4. Mattias Ekholm
Country: Sweden
It seems like there is no way Sweden will ice an Olympic team without Mattias Ekholm being a part of it.
The veteran defender is considered to be one of the top defensive players in the NHL at the moment, possessing both an ability to punish forecheckers in the corners and a knack for moving the puck up the ice.
Age may play a factor in his ability to continue at that high level, but at 34 it seems like he still has a few years left.
5. Zach Hyman
Country: Canada
Nobody expected Zach Hyman to pot over 50 goals last season and it may have sprung his name into Olympic conversations.
He may not be the most skilled player on the planet, but he possesses something not a lot of players around the NHL have: wicked chemistry with McDavid.
Hyman would bring a gritty element not often seen on Canada’s Olympic squads and, just like Chris Kunitz before him, Hyman could play above his pay grade due to his familiarity with the NHL’s brightest star.
6. Stuart Skinner
Country: Canada
It was a bumpy sophomore season for Stuart Skinner between the pipes, but in the end, he showed that he has what it takes to perform at the highest level.
Despite having some difficulties at points last season, Skinner wound up putting up a 36-16-5 record in the regular season and a .905 save percentage. In the playoffs, the first two rounds were forgettable for the 25-year-old, but he rebounded in the last two rounds and gave the Oilers every chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Canada’s pipeline for goaltenders is drying up and Skinner may be able to take hold of the starters job with the club.
7. Viktor Arvidsson
Country: Sweden
Viktor Arvidsson has a chance to join teammate Ekholm on Team Sweden at the Olympics, but he will have to make his case quickly.
The 31-year-old has shown sparks of being a top-line player in his career but an injury-riddled 2023-24 saw him appear in just 18 games last season with the LA Kings. He isn’t expected to make Sweden’s roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, but a year playing beside Draisaitl could change that.
Arvidsson is just a season removed from a 59-point campaign.
8. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Country: Canada
It will be tough sledding to have a third Oilers forward crack Canada’s Olympic team, but a path is there for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Though he may not be the 100-point player he was in 2022-23, RNH is still a very good two-way forward and, like Hyman, has the benefit of playing alongside McDavid for long stretches.
That line of RNH-McDavid-Hyman was among the very best in the league last season… could Canada look to keep it together on the world stage?