7 Oilers who may represent their country at the 2026 Winter Olympics revealed
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Though it may be too early to say definitively, the Oilers may have the largest contingency of players heading to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympic games.
7 Oilers could be considered to represent their county, with the most obvious being Connor McDavid, who has already secured a roster spot on Team Canada.
4 Oilers selected to Team Canada Orientation Camp
Another Team Canada candidate is Zach Hyman, who was invited to its camp. The 33 year-old forward will be competing for a depth role, and should be ready to go, despite the wrist injury he suffered in last season's playoffs. He would excel in a 2-way, 3rd-line checking role.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should make Team Canada's line-up in a top-4 capacity, despite his drop in production last season. He won't be called upon to be the main points-getter, and so could focus on doing what he does best, being a versatile, all-around player.
Evan Bouchard was not selected as a member of Canada's 4-Nation's Cup, which many believed was an oversight on management's behalf. In big games, the young defenseman shines, as he has in the last two playoffs. He should get selected for Italy, especially if he has a strong start to next year.
Though Canada has plenty of capable defenseman, Evan should at least be considered ahead of Travis Sanheim, Drew Doughty, and Colton Parayko, notwithstanding his defensive-zone turnovers.
3 more Edmonton Oilers could represent other countries at Olympics
The lone Oilers' representative for Germany is Leon Draisaitl, who will Captain the German side. His ability to score will drive the German offense. Leon will probably be paired with Tim Stuzle on the 1st-line. Draisaitl represented Germany at multiple World Junior Championships and Men's World Championships.
Team Sweden will likely be represented by Mattias Ekholm, in the top-2 pairings. Mattias won Gold with Sweden at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, as well as a Bronze at the 2010 World Juniors. He was named a top rookie in the Swedish Elite League. His experience at the National team level will serve him well in Italy.
Finally, David Tomasek will play for Team Czechia. He just signed with the Oilers in the offseason, a 1-year deal worth $1.2M. He has many years of experience playing for Czechia internationally, both as a pro and as a junior, and is quite familiar with its program.
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