The 2026 Winter Olympics are 157 days away and Hockey Canada is already in the process of narrowing down its roster, hosting its 2025 National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary this week. But there are a number of viable choices who didn't make the cut that could play their way onto the Olympic roster come February.
Beyond the 42 players invited to camp, there are reportedly 50 more NHL skaters on a watchlist for Canadian scouts to see how they perform during the upcoming season leading up to the Olympics. One of the players on that list is undoubtedly Nazem Kadri, who expressed his disappointment at being left out of the inital group.
"I feel like I deserve a chance,” Kadri said to The Athletic. “I think, over the last few seasons, I’ve certainly proven that with my statistics and the winning pedigree. I think it speaks for itself.”
He has every reason to feel that way, given his bounce-back seasons with the Calgary Flames over the last two years. Following a minor slump where he recorded a lower-than-usual 56 points in 82 games in 2022-23, Kadri rebounded with 29 goals and 75 points in 2023-24. He then followed that up with a career-high 35 goals and a total of 67 points this past season.
Kadri was also a pivotal member of the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche team in 2022, putting up 15 points in 16 playoff games en route to the championship. He has proven that he still has gas in the tank at age 34, generating more scoring chances, shot attempts, and rush attempts than any member of the Flames. Kadri is a force to be reckoned with offensively, and his stats on the scoresheet as well as the advanced numbers support his statement that he deserves a second look.
Top goalies on watch for Team Canada
Hockey Canada only invited three goaltenders to the orientation camp: Jordan Binnington, Samuel Montembeault, and Adin Hill. That's one fewer than Team USA had at their own event earlier in August, to the surprise of some, since neither Mackenzie Blackwood nor Logan Thompson were invited for Canada.
Looking at the numbers from recent seasons, it's surprising that Thompson in particular was not among the attendees. He is coming off of a stellar season where he posted a record of 31-6-6 along with a .910 SV%, 2.49 GAA, and two shutouts. In terms of advanced statistics, Thompson stopped 26 goals above expected -- good for third-best in the league behind only Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The 28-year-old Calgary native did have the advantage of playing on a defensively sound Washington Capitals squad in his first year with the club, but his consistency during his career with the Vegas Golden Knights speaks for itself. He has a very similar career statline to that of Hill, the current started for Vegas, who had a .906 SV%, 2.47 GAA, and four shutouts this past season.
Blackwood, on the other hand, had an even better season statistically after being traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Colorado Avalanche. Once he was given the chance to take over in net for an actual contender, Blackwood performed extremely well with a 22-12-3 record, .913 SV%, 2.33 GAA, and three shutouts.
Unlike Thompson, though, Blackwood has had a bit more of a rollercoaster career after having mixed results with the New Jersey Devils followed by a lackluster stint with the Sharks (understandably so). Still, the 28-year-old's resurgence with the Avalanche proves that he has the pure skill to carry his team to victory, and could serve as a reliable backup to call on if the need arises.
There is still plenty of time for Canada's executives to finalize the Olympic roster, but these three skaters will surely be in consideration despite being left out of the orientation camp.