Projecting Team Canada’s men’s roster for 2030 Olympics

With the 2026 men’s Olympic hockey tournament now in the rearview mirror, everything that went right and wrong for Team Canada is being dissected across the country.

The Canadian roster was widely celebrated as one of the best teams the country has ever iced for an international competition. The fact Canada ended up on the wrong end of an overtime loss to Team USA in the gold medal game will sting for years to come.

I believe Canada had a deep enough roster to win gold, but I’m also excited about what the future holds. Some veteran players will age out of the process while a group of young guns are poised to enter the fray in four years. 

With that in mind, here are some of my thoughts on Canada coming out of the Olympics as well as a projection regarding who will be replaced and who will be joining Canada’s roster in 2030.

Canada’s Forwards

The forward group in Milan ended up being more top heavy than I anticipated. 

• Connor McDavid was named tournament MVP and led all scorers with 2G-11A, while Macklin Celebrini impressed with 5G-5A. 

• The next two leading point producers were Nathan MacKinnon (4G-3A) and Sidney Crosby (2G-4A).

• Nick Suzuki, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Bo Horvat, Brandon Hagel, Seth Jarvis and Brad Marchand contributed only 6G-4A between them. 

• The other three forwards were relatively productive. Mitch Marner ended with 1G-4A, Mark Stone contributed 2G-2A and Tom Wilson produced 1G-3A.

My takeaway after watching how Jon Cooper was deploying the forward group in the medal round is pretty simple: He struggled to identify a trustworthy second layer of forwards to produce offence and it showed. He constantly had to go back to the Celebrini-McDavid-MacKinnon line to chase offence. I’m positive the entire coaching staff anticipated that they had assembled a group of forwards that could attack their opponents more consistently than they did, especially in the medal round. 

So how might things look different up from in 2030?

Considering how things unfolded in 2026, and where these players are at in their careers, the following will either age out of the Olympics team or be replaced by 2030: Brad Marchand, Mark Stone, Bo Horvat, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Tom Wilson.

The big question: What’s Crosby’s timeline?

I’m not ruling out the possibility that Crosby is still active and playing at a high level come 2030. When I was the scouting director for the Florida Panthers we had a “young buck” named Jaromir Jagr produce 27G-39A at the age of 43.

Crosby will be 42 the next time the Olympic games are contested and he’s one of the best and most competitive to ever play. Until he retires, we can’t overlook the chance he’s still on this roster.

Which forwards will be returning in 2030? 

The international game has never been played as fast as it is today. I believe Canada must strategize assembling a lineup with even more speed and skill for the games in France. Outside of the obvious returnees (Celebrini, McDavid, Mackinnon) the following NHL veterans should have plenty of gas left in the tank when the 2030 Winter Games roll around, and be able to provide a mix of speed and skill I’m looking for when forecasting the forwards:

Brayden Point: Canada missed him in Italy. Point can play the middle or the wing. He will be 33 years old by the time the next Olympics arrive, but I’m banking on his pace not falling off and the fact he’s a proven point producer who can pitch in some secondary offence at worst.

Mitch Marner: He will be 32 at the next Olympics. I don’t see his offence falling off and he’s a reliable penalty-killer as well. 

Brandon Hagel: He didn’t have the impact he is capable of in Italy, but I value his overall approach and tenacity when he’s at his best. Hagel has produced 27G-27A in Tampa so far this season and is a plus-29. Hagel will be 31 years old in 2030. 

Nick Suzuki: Scored a key goal for Canada versus Czechia and ended the Olympics with two goals and no assists. He’s a versatile forward who is better suited to play centre instead of the wing. Suzuki is only 26 years old and just entering the prime of his career. He’s on pace to produce around 90 points in Montreal this season and is a big part of the reason why the Habs are entering their contention window as a franchise. 

Seth Jarvis: He is on pace to score well over 30 goals in Carolina this year and will only be 28 years old by the time the Olympics arrive. His role will be elevated further in 2030.

What Canada’s forward group might look like in 2030

Considering what I’ve just written, here’s how I’d project Canada’s forward group in 2030, followed by some notes to consider:

*Note: I have Crosby as a placeholder for now. In time we’ll get a better idea if he’s even available or not.

• In assembling my projected group, my strategy was to provide whoever coaches the team with four scoring line that all play with skill and speed. They would roll over the boards with a consistency that would hopefully result in the opponents chasing the play as soon as we control the puck on most shifts.

• I’ve included an influx of new blood into the roster with the inclusion of Thomas, Johnston, Bedard, Fantilli, McKenna and Guenther. 

Don’t forget Beckett Sennecke

Sennecke is having a fantastic rookie season in Anaheim. He’s averaging over 17 minutes per game of ice time and has contributed 19G-26A. Sennecke’s combination of size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds), power and skill are intriguing attributes. He plays fast, shoots the puck a ton and provides solid detail and effort defensively. He very well could play his way on to this roster by 2030, or at least be someone we’re debating.

Here’s how Sennecke compares to the rest of the NHL in shooting, skating, and tracking categories:

Canada’s Defence

Losing Josh Morrissey to injury early in the tournament exposed a void in the Canadian lineup that became more obvious as the tournament progressed. Outside of Cale Makar, and occasionally Thomas Harley and Devon Toews, the group of defenders lacked the transitional game required to consistently attack opponents. They didn’t launch the play or join as extra layers off the puck in waves. 

• Makar led Canada’s defence with 2G-4A. 

• Harley contributed 1G-3A. 

• Toews’ primary minutes came alongside Makar. He chipped in offensively with 1G-2A, but he’s going to be nearly 36 years old when the 2030 Olympics begin.

So how might things look different on the back end? These defencemen will likely all age out of the program: Drew Doughty, Devon Toews, Colton Parayko, Shea Theodore.

Which defencemen will be returning in 2030?

The following group of veterans will provide layers of experience for Team Canada’s defence corps:

Cale Makar: He is one of the best hockey players on the planet. He’s a game breaker offensively and a threat to make plays with the puck almost every shift. He did have some hiccups defensively in these Olympics, but he’s a relentless competitor, leader, and has the fitness to play 25 minutes per game. 

Josh Morrissey: Team Canada missed having a healthy Morrissey in the lineup. He transitions pucks offensively and competes hard defensively. Morrissey remains one of the top defencemen in the NHL and can be deployed in a variety of roles. I think that he will still have a positive impact when he’s 34 in 2030.

Thomas Harley: He will be in the prime of his career in 2030. His combination of size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) and skill are projectable. Harley can also contribute in a variety of roles and he pushes the pace on and off the puck offensively. 

What Canada’s defence group might look like in 2030

Here’s how I would project Canada’s blue line in four years, followed by some notes to consider.

With the realization that Canada’s defence was average moving pucks and launching the attack, the group I’ve assembled will hopefully be more efficient. 

• I’m attempting to keep consistent with my strategy of putting our opponents on their heels as much as possible with the waves of skill this team should provide. 

• I’m envisioning Schaefer and Makar taking even strength shifts with the McDavid line. Imagine how difficult that group would be to defend. 

• I recognize there’s some risk including a player like Bouchard, but his offensive element is something I respect and there should be enough defensive detail around him to make up for his predictable lapses in the defensive zone.

• Including Power and Dobson on my list represents an option for the coaching staff to move either one up or down the lineup, or potentially pair them together. Power’s combination of size and length and Dobson’s offensive upside are intriguing.

Don’t forget about Keaton Verhoeff

Verhoeff is the top-rated defenceman for the 2026 draft. His combination of size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and puck moving ability stand out as projectable attributes. The towering right-shot defenceman can be deployed in a variety of roles, including the power play if needed, giving coaches an extra layer of defensive options.

Verhoeff is winding down his freshman season at North Dakota in the NCAA. He’s getting between 17 and 21 minutes of ice time per game and has contributed 6G-12A in 28 games this year. He should have a couple years experience at the NHL level before the 2030 games arrive in France. 

Also don’t forget about Landon DuPont

DuPont is one of the top-rated prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft. By the time the 2030 Olympics arrive he will likely have a couple full NHL seasons under his belt. He’s currently developing in the WHL playing for the Everett Silvertips. 

DuPont is an extremely competitive prospect who provides offence without sacrificing defensive detail. He has the hockey sense to be deployed in a variety of roles and he’s physically capable of handling weight (listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds). Through his first 116 games in the WHL DuPont has contributed 32G-81A, and his plus-80 rating speaks to his overall detail. 

Canada’s goaltending

The most discussed concern heading into these Olympics was whether or not Canada’s goaltending would hold up on the biggest stage of international competition. At the end of the day Jordan Binnington won Canada’s net and, on balance, had a fantastic tournament. Meanwhile, Logan Thompson looked comfortable and ready to play if required. 

• Binnington ended up playing five games for Canada, posting a 1.78 GAA and .917 save percentage. 

• Thompson only played one game, stopping 24 of 25 shots in a 5-1 Canada victory over upstart Switzerland. 

• Third string goalie Darcy Kuemper dressed as a backup in the game versus Switzerland, but wasn’t called upon to enter any games. 

Binnington will be 36 and Kuemper 39 when the next Olympics roll around and so will likely age out of this team. That leaves Thompson, who will be 33, as the only returning goalie.

Much can change at this position in four years, but for now this is how I project Canada’s net in 2030:

• Goaltending will likely still be a question mark in four years, but I’m hoping Thompson’s game remains consistent in Washington, while Hofer and Greaves continue to mature. 

This exercise has no doubt revealed some debatable names for Canada’s 2030 roster and this is far from an exact science. Other players not mentioned have time to develop, mature or break out in ways that might have us thinking about them in the lead up to the next Winter Games.

But, on projection four years out, and with my own team-building thought process, what I’ve presented above is how I’d project the team to look four years out.

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