The 2026 Milan Olympics are just weeks away and despite the issues surrounding the ice surface, there is much excitement surrounding the games.
It is the first time that NHL players will participate since the 2014 Sochi games and the first chance to see true “best-on-best” hockey since Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, and more have entered the league.
The Edmonton Oilers are poised to send a number of players to the games with a few players having an outside chance as well.
Both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are locks for Canada and Germany respectively but there are a few players on the Oilers and in the system that have true chances to varying degrees. Mattias Ekholm is another who seems like a near slam dunk to represent Sweden at the Olympics and he will not be included below.
Evan Bouchard
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Evan Bouchard joining Team Canada at the Olympics. In terms of skill, he is a very deserving candidate, he is a right-handed offensive defenceman who is consistently one of the best play drivers from the backend. He is also expectedly a high end point producer, pacing over 60 points in each of the past three seasons.
The only knock on Bouchard is that his defensive game leaves a lot to be desired with some glaring flaws and costly mistakes. He is also perceived to be a less potent offensive player than Makar or Josh Morrissey or some other Canadian blueliners.
Despite the potential drawbacks and lack of fit stylistically, Bouchard is undoubtedly deserving of the recognition. At the very least, he should be brought along as a depth option for Canada if need be.
Josh Samanski
He may not be a Draisaitl or Tim Stutzle but with only 14 players having logged games this season in the NHL and AHL amongst players of German nationality, Josh Samanski stands out. He leads all German AHL players in points and provides some two-way versatility and plays as a big bodied centre.
The 23 year old has shown some offensive punch in his young career, notching 40 points in 52 games last season in the top German, DEL. Now, he has 22 points in 27 games with the Oilers AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors and looks like he could be a legitimate call-up option for the Oilers.
He looks poised to become one of Germany’s top forwards internationally throughout his career. He can also fill a few different roles for the team and will look to be impactful this Winter for his home country.
David Tomasek
Although he has represented Czechia a number of times internationally, David Tomasek has yet to attend an Olympic event for his home country. The 29 year old looks to change that in 2026 and if chosen he could be an important piece for his nation.
Tomasek has the ability to play wing and centre and possesses some legitimate offensive instincts. Plus, he has been a high scoring player across various European pro leagues and now has some NHL experience to back it up.
This will likely be one of if not his last chance to make the Olympic squad and he could be a big piece this time around.
No matter which darkhorse candidates on the Oilers get chosen, the club looks to be well represented in Milan next year.