Projected Team USA 2026 Olympic Team Lineup
The 2026 Olympics are going to be fun to watch with NHL players back in the mix. With everyone getting a taste of international hockey with the 4 Nations Faceoff last season, the stakes are going to be even higher at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics starting on Feb. 6.
Kyle Cushman and Josh Wegman from The Score projected who they felt Team USA was going to bring across the pond, and also who will likely be on their radar as the NHL season kicks off in a couple of months.
Jake Guentzel
Auston Matthews
Jack Hughes
Brady Tkachuk
Jack Eichel
Matthew Tkachuk
Matt Boldy
Dylan Larkin
Kyle Connor
J.T. Miller
Tage Thompson
Clayton KellerAs you can see, a very similar lineup to the 4 Nations Faceoff, however, there's going to be several players pushing for spots during the start of next season, including Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dallas Stars' leading scoring Jason Robertson. This is a veteran heavy lineup with a ton of character, and as they showed at the 4 Nations, capable of going toe-to-toe with Team Canada.
Quinn Hughes
Charlie McAvoy
Jaccob Slavin
Zach WerenskiThere's certainly some locks within the top four of this blueline, however, after that it could be a bit of a free for all to start next season. Werenski appears to be as close to a lock as possible, and if Jones is capable of keeping the same level of play he showed during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, should be included. One wildcard will be Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, and if he gets off to a blazing start next season, could quickly make his way into the conversation.
Jake OettingerDon't expect many changes in net. These three are locks and are going to be heading to the Olympics next spring. Certainly some questions around Hellebuyck winning in big moments, but he'll likely get another shot at being the American starter, at least to start the tournament.
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
