5 Edmonton Oilers are expected to compete in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games – Hockey Writer – Edmonton Oilers
It’s only six months now until Milano Cortina in 2026, which will be in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, including NHL players. The Winter Games will be held in Italy from February 6 to February 22, and the Men’s Hockey Championship will be held from February 11 to February 22.
Recently, NHL.com is expected to compete in men’s hockey teams at the 2026 Olympics, while five members of the Edmonton Oilers made layoffs. This is a look.
Evan Bouchard
Canadian defenseman
Evan Bouchard was excluded from the Canadian roster and competed in a standoff in four countries, while Canada performed well without him, winning the first match in February last year.
But after another great playoff performance that helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup final for the second consecutive year and scored 23 points in 22 playoff games, Oakville, Ontario, the locals seem to have returned to the Olympics. NHL.com is the second media outlet in the past few weeks and Bouchard is expected to fit the Canadian team along with TSN.
Like Bouchard, this will boil down to the situation where Canadian hockey is willing to swap his defensive underdog for offensive production.
Leon Draisaitl
Forward, Germany
Leon Draisaitl has had the opportunity to represent his country in international competitions since 2019 at the IIHF World Championships. At the time, Cologne Products had only 23 years of history and was on the verge of elevating his game to the level of the greatest player on the planet. Now, he just won his first Morris “Rockets” Richard Trophy, which is the NHL’s leading goal percentage in the 2024-25 season.
While the Germans are a long shot of a medal, many believe that with Draisaitl leading the way, they have offensive firepower to be surprised at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Draisaitl was one of six players selected for the Olympic roster in June. He may wear the captain’s “C” for his national team at Milan.
Mattias Ekholm
Defensive player, Sweden
Mattias Ekholm, a native of Borlange, served as assistant captain of his national team in February last year against Sweden in four countries.
Ekholm has long been considered an upper class of the NHL defense, but nearly two months after his injury, he struggled in the 2025 Stanley Cup final, leading some to speculate that his father’s age was catching up with the 35-year-old. Most importantly, Sweden has a huge defensive depth, so Ekhall should not be regarded as a lock for the 2026 Olympics.
That being said, NHL.com still sees the place where the Swedish team’s savvy rock veterans are. Ekholm brought important experience by winning the gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championships.
Connor McDavid
Moving forward, Canada
Like Draisaitl, Connor McDavid is one of the top six players in the 2026 Olympics. It seems like there is a doubt that the best players on Earth will be part of the Canadian team.
It’s exciting to finally see McDavid compete on Sport’s greatest stage. He has written the classic Canadian Hockey Legacy Moment, scoring overtime title against the United States in the finals of 4 countries.
McDavid will be ranked with Canada’s highest in Italy, but the captain of Edmonton may not wear a “C” for Canada. The difference might go to Pittsburgh penguin icon Sidney Crosby, who served as Canadian captain in face-to-face in 4 countries and may have participated in his final Olympics.
Joshua Samanski
Forward, Germany
Edmonton fans have not really known Joshua Samanthi. The 23-year-old Center signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Oilers in April and hopes to win the NHL team roster during upcoming training camp and preseason.
But, due to his impressive performance at the IIHF World Championship last spring, he may have already earned a roster with the German Olympic team. In his world debut, Samanski ranked third in Germany with two points (five goals and three assists) and plus/minus 2 (plus 2).
Samanski played in the last three seasons in the German Eishockey Liga (DEL). In 2024-25, Erding Product led the Straubing Tigers with 14 goals and 26 assists in 52 games.
Of course, there is still a long way to go until the 2026 Olympic hockey roster is completed, and what happened in the first few months of the 2025-26 season will play an irrelevant role in these decisions. There may be less than five oilers traveling to Italy, and there may be more: Zach Hyman is likely to have something to say. The game to Milan has just begun.
