Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics: Noah Dobson out of TSN lineup

At first glance, it’s clear that the Canadiens will (once again) be a brute force on paper.

The lines won’t necessarily be identical, but when you’ve got Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Tom Wilson on your 4th trio, there’s reason to be scared.

On the other hand, there are some names that have been overlooked, and among them is Noah Dobson, the Montreal Canadiens’ newcomer.

Honorable mentions to Evan Bouchard on defense, as well as Macklin Celebrini and Connor Berdard, who could surprise with an excellent start to the season.

Devon Toews and Cale Makar should most likely form Canada’s first defensive pair.

Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore and Colton Parayko should also be included, as they also provide an excellent presence on the blue line. And let’s not forget Thomas Harley, who impressed at the 4 Nations Confrontation.

On the other hand, although Drew Doughty is a veteran of international tournaments and MacKenzie Weegar is a very good defenseman, Noah Dobson would be a more logical choice.

Doughty is getting older, like it or not. He’s still got some good hockey in him, but at 35 (he’ll be 36 at the Olympics), he may not be able to keep up with the international pace.

Making the starting line-up is likely to be a good challenge for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

As for Weegar, he has 47 points in 82 games this season (and 52 the season before), which is very good.

Defensively, however, it’s much more difficult, as he finished first (by far) in the NHL in turnovers with 159.

His closest pursuer was Erik Karlsson with 140. When you far exceed EK65 for turnovers, it’s never a good sign.

While defense isn’t Dobson’s greatest strength either, he had far fewer turnovers (108), even if that’s far from ideal.

And now you’re going to tell me that Dobson only scored 39 points last season, but don’t forget that he had 70 the season before, on a team sorely lacking in offense.

Dobson is also four inches taller than Weegar. Dobson’s presence in front of the net is quite formidable, even if he’s not the most physical.

The fact remains that Weegar is still a very good choice, as he distributes more checks and blocks as many, if not more, shots than Dobson.

But let’s not forget that the situation with the Islanders was far from favorable to Dobson.

I’d still take Dobson and Weegar next February before Doughty, who’s starting to age.

We could also consider Evan Bouchard, who is not in the line-up and who, if not reliable defensively, is a dangerous presence offensively.

I can’t wait to see Canada’s final line-up for these Olympic Games.

Overtime

– If you compare the two editions, there’s clearly room for improvement.

– Good luck with your new team, Rafaël.

– Zayne Parekh is confident about his first full NHL season. He’ll be one to watch in the race for the Calder Trophy.

– Brent Burns joins Colorado Avalanche for 22nd NHL season.

– For those who missed it: the 67th episode of the Passion MLB Podcast.