NHL
2026 Olympic
Hockey
By 2030, Connor Bedard should have a prominent place in Canada's lineup. Jari Pestelacci / Getty Images
With the 2026 Olympic Games in the rearview mirror, it’s never too early for every hockey fan’s favorite exercise: a national team roster projection. So, here’s our first attempt to project the teams for Canada and the USA for the 2030 Games. Of course, there is a lot of player projection involved in trying to figure out which players from the current group will and will not be playing at a high level in four years, and which young players are on track to take their places.
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Connor Bedard: By 2030, Bedard is expected to be a consistent top scorer in the league and one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game. Bedard possesses an elite combination of skill, hockey sense and goal-scoring ability, and Canada’s power play will likely run through his shot. In four years, he will likely be a lot more physically developed and able to handle the physicality of the level than he was in 2026.
Matthew Schaefer: Schaefer nearly made the 2026 team as an 18-year-old NHL rookie. His main asset is his skating — he’s a powerful, effortless skater who closes gaps and transitions up the ice at an elite level. Schaefer is a highly intelligent defenseman with legit offensive skills who creates chances with great pace. He projects to become one of, if not the most, Canada’s important defenseman by 2030.
Adam Fantilli and Quinton Byfield: Byfield and Fantilli bring the physical tools needed for heavy international tournaments. Both are big, competitive forwards who are great skaters and can provide secondary offense to Canada’s lineup. They can project to replace the roles left by players like Brandon Hagel and Mark Stone.
Dylan Guenther: Guenther has become one of the best young scorers in the NHL. In four years, he should be established enough to be pushing to play at this level. With his length, speed, stick and shot, he will be able to help Canada at even strength while being an important part of a second power-play unit.
Noah Dobson: Dobson’s game continues to mature and develop, and by the next Olympics, I could see him being one of the better all-around defensemen in the NHL.
Sebastian Cossa: Your guess on who will be Canada’s goalies in four years is about as good as mine. I don’t know if anyone would have envisioned Binnington/Thompson as the duo a few years ago, which is in part due to the lack of depth at the position for Canada. Cossa has played just one NHL game, but there’s only so much premium Canadian U25 talent in the league at that position.
The core is notably unchanged: Almost all of the top nine forwards for the USA in 2026 and their entire blue line are either young or in their prime. Thus, you see very few critical changes at the top of the lineup for 2030. I think the blue line, in particular, will look almost identical to the 2026 version, except for Jaccob Slavin aging out.
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Cutter Gauthier: Gauthier provides a great combination of size, speed and scoring ability to the USA’s middle six. He will be able to push the pace at the Olympic level and win battles versus men while contributing offense, too.
Logan Cooley: Cooley is a true plus-skater who can beat defenders one-on-one and create highly dangerous chances off the rush. He’s also a high-end competitor who can play both ways despite being on the smaller side. With Utah, he’s a primary offensive player; on Team USA, he will likely be leaned on more for his great speed and energy.
Matthew Knies: Knies forces his way into the bottom-six conversation because of his heavy style of play and ability to win battles. He isn’t the fastest player for this level, but he provides a style of play that you want in the fourth-line role.
Spencer Knight: Knight projects as the next big name for the American crease. He’s a high-end technical athlete who has the power and quickness in his lower half to make the tough lateral saves. With a proven track record of international success at the junior level, his prime aligns perfectly with 2030, giving the U.S. a premium, young safety net behind Jake Oettinger.
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Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
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