Elias Lindholm says it was an easy decision to join the Boston Bruins with all their history, and he adds he wants to bring what Patrice Bergeron brought to the team.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were a huge success, especially for the United States. Team USA led the all nations with 250 medals, including a tie with China for the most gold medals at 40.
The United States will try to keep that momentum going at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. It should be a special Olympics because for the first time since 2014, NHL players will be allowed to compete in the men's ice hockey competition.
This is exciting news for Team USA, because the roster it will send to Italy might be its most talented Olympic hockey roster of all time. The United States has produced some amazing NHL players over the last decade, especially at the goaltender position. In fact, you could make a strong case that Team USA has the best goalies of any nation.
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The last time the United States won Olympic gold in men's hockey was in 1980 -- the Miracle on Ice team that beat the Soviet Union in the semifinals. Team USA has won just two medals -- silver in 2002 and 2010 -- since the 1980 triumph.
Which players deserve to be on the Olympic roster in two years?
Here's an early projection for the forwards, defensemen and goalies. And, of course, a lot could change between now and when the final roster is ultimately announced.
Forwards
Matthew Tkachuk--Auston Matthews--Brady Tkachuk
Jason Robertson--Jack Eichel--Jack Hughes
Jake Guentzel--Tage Thompson--Clayton Keller
Kyle Connor--Dylan Larkin--Johnny Gaudreau
Extras: J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Alex DeBrincat
It's time for a new generation of superstar forwards to carry the torch for the United States. This roster will be loaded with many of the NHL's best and most exciting young players.
The world's best goal scorer, Auston Matthews, centering a line between the two Tkachuk brothers would be highly entertaining (and likely quite prolific from a scoring perspective).
Similar to Canada, the U.S. has a lot of excellent centers, which means some of them will have to play on the wing. Clayton Keller and Jack Hughes are two potential examples. They are fantastic in the middle, but it's going to be difficult to bump Matthews and Eichel off the top-six center spots.
Being able to play an elite scorer like Kyle Connor in the bottom six would be borderline unfair and really illustrates the depth of this roster. He has scored 30-plus goals in five of the last six seasons.
This collection of American forwards could thrive in any style of hockey -- high-scoring, low-scoring, physical, etc. It's a deep, versatile, fast and uber-talented group.
Defensemen
Quinn Hughes--Charlie McAvoy
Zach Werenski--Adam Fox
Jaccob Slavin--John Carlson
Extras: Noah Hanifin, Luke Hughes, Brock Faber
A top pairing of Hughes and McAvoy would be a lot of fun. Hughes is arguably the most gifted offensive defenseman in the sport (Cale Makar has a strong case, too), while McAvoy is very strong defensively and not afraid to dish out a huge hit. McAvoy also has a ton of experience in big playoff games in Boston.
Werenski and Fox complement each other well, too. Fox is a scoring machine and an excellent skater. His skill set will translate very well to international competition.
The third pairing could go in any number of ways. Slavin is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's very reliable and productive and both ends of the ice. Carlson is 34 but still very productive (52 points in 82 games last season) and would provide much-needed international experience. He's the only member of the 2014 Olympic team with a realistic chance to make the 2026 roster. Carlson also won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Capitals.
Hanifin's skill set would be a good fit for international competition as well. And if Team USA wants to integrate a few young stars into the mix, Brock Faber and Luke Hughes are strong options. It's quite possible that both Faber and Hughes become locks for the team with their NHL performance as we get closer to when the final roster is revealed.
Goaltenders
1. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
3. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
If we were picking a starting goalie for next February, then Hellebuyck would be ahead of Swayman. The Jets star is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and has been a top 10 goalie for the last seven years. The one knock against Hellebuyck is his recent postseason performances. He has posted a sub-.900 save percentage in each of his last two playoff runs for Winnipeg.
But Swayman has the chance to leapfrog him by the time 2026 rolls around. The Bruins' No. 1 netminder is coming off a stellar 2024 playoff campaign in which he led all goalies with a .933 save percentage and 13.33 goals saved above average (GSAA).
Over the last three seasons, Swayman ranks No. 6 among goalies in save percentage, No. 5 in GAA and No. 6 in GSAA. Swayman's calm, cool and collected demeanor makes him an ideal goalie for a high-pressure and emotional competition like the Olympics.
The third goalie is probably a battle between Jake Oettinger and Thatcher Demko. There's no wrong choice, as both are fantastic and have experience leading playoff-caliber teams.
Canada has the best collection of talent in the world, but one area where the Americans have the advantage is between the pipes.
