Edmonton Oilers who could play at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games

Zach Hyman

Hockey Canada invited forward Zach Hyman to camp. Hyman is coming off a somewhat disappointing season that ended with a severe injury. Hyman had half of the goal total he registered in the 2023–24 season, but has still been a solid forward with the Oilers.

The 33-year-old will be fighting for a depth spot on Team Canada alongside many others. It will be tough competition, although Hyman’s work ethic can help set him apart from the competition. Hyman has not represented his country for over a decade, so this will be a massive opportunity for him.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Alongside Hyman, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be fighting for a depth spot on Team Canada. He has been a solid forward for the Oilers over the past decade. This is an opportunity for him to prove that he still has the star power to be a difference maker.

By his standards, last season was a rough one where he saw an 18-point decrease from the year prior.

However, Nugent-Hopkins has been one of the Oilers’ best players in the playoffs. His clutch play could help him earn a spot on Team Canada. He was a star in his World Junior days, where he registered 15 points in six games during the 2013 tournament.

Evan Bouchard

Defenceman Evan Bouchard may finally get his opportunity to represent Canada on the big stage. Many hockey fans believe the defenceman should have been on the 4 Nations roster; however, management decided to move on without him.

Cale Makar is already on the team, while defenceman Thomas Harley, Colton Parayko, Drew Doughty, Josh Morrissey, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, and Devon Toews were all on the 4 Nations roster. This may give Bouchard a bit of a disadvantage, but his offensive play cannot be ignored any longer. Defencemen such as Doughty, Sanheim, and Parayko should not even be considered at the same level as Bouchard. His major defensive zone turnovers are what people worry about with him.

Team Germany

Leon Draisaitl

Oiler superstar Leon Draisaitl has already been named to Team Germany. He will likely be their captain, as he is the best German NHL player of all time.

Draisaitl represented his country a lot more when he was younger. He played in multiple World Junior Championships and Men’s World Championships. Here, he has been a driving force of Germany’s offence.

It will be interesting to see the chemistry that he and Tim Stutzle can bring to the table. Both of them are highly dangerous offensive forwards who can rack up lots of points. Playing for their country at the Olympic Games will be a huge step for Draisaitl in his career.

Team Sweden

Mattias Ekholm

Defenceman Mattias Ekholm will likely be a depth player on Team Sweden’s blueline. He was not one of the six players initially named to the roster, although he was a member of the 4 Nations team. This gives him a pretty solid chance of making the team.

He will play bottom-four minutes and will be a valuable piece to Team Sweden’s penalty kill. If injuries take place on the blueline, Ekholm could get a chance to move up in the lineup.

Team Czechia

David Tomasek

The last Oiler with a solid chance at making an Olympic team is forward David Tomasek. He signed with the Oilers this offseason for one year at $1.2M.

Tomasek has been a dominant force in the Swedish Hockey League. Last season, he put up an impressive 57 points in only 47 games. It will be interesting to see how he can adapt to the NHL game at 29 years of age.

Tomasek will likely play a middle-six role with the Oilers. The same can be expected for the Olympics. Czechia would use Tomasek as a middle-six forward to provide some depth playmaking.