Here is Canada’s (premeditated) offensive line-up for the 2026 Olympics

The next Winter Olympics are only two years away, but we’re already starting to think about what Canada’s line-up will look like for the competition.

It’s a bit premeditated, but I wanted to build my offensive line-up for the Olympic tournament.

It looks like this:

• Marchand – Crosby – MacKinnon
• Bedard – McDavid – Marner
• Point – Scheifele – Verhaeghe
• Stamkos – Barzal – Suzuki
• Extras: Johnston, Reinhart

The first trio makes sense to me because there’s a chemistry between the three guys, who come from the same area.

In the middle of the second line, we find Connor McDavid (a complete player) with a goal scorer (Bedard) and a playmaker (Marner) on the wings.

The third trio gave me trouble, but Point could be useful with his speed, Verhaege has been scoring goals by the ton for the last two and a half years, and Scheifele is a responsible player on the ice.

And for the fourth unit… Stamkos has the experience to make the club, Barzal (like Point) is excellent because he’s fast and Suzuki is one of the NHL’s good responsible players on 200 feet of ice.

Could Zach Hyman, who reached the 50-goal plateau this season, fit into the lineup? Perhaps, yes. It all depends on how he performs two years from now. The same goes for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

But the question that interests us in Montreal is this: Does Suzuki belong among the big boys?

It’s 50/50 in the eyes of many… But it’s clear in the mind of Bob Hartley, who was on the set of l’Antichambre (RDS):

For me, it’s certain that Nick Suzuki will play for Canada at the 2026 Olympic Games! – Bob Hartley

The thing is, a lot can change between now and 2026.

Injuries, how guys perform between now and the Games, last-minute changes…

Again, this is a premeditated line-up. But if the Olympics started tomorrow, I wouldn’t be afraid of facing the best teams in the world with this line-up.

Are there any obvious changes in your eyes?

And… would Suzuki deserve his place in the line-up, if we thought he could help the team with his defensive skills and reliability on the ice (whether at wing or center)?

We want to hear from you!

In gusto

– All the same!

– He’s so underrated.

– To be continued.

– Really?