Did Team Canada Drop the Ball?: No Oilers Linemate for McDavid

Team Canada’s roster was announced on Wednesday, and while Connor McDavid‘s inclusion was always a given, the fate of three other Edmonton Oilers wasn’t as clear. Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard were all bubble players who had put themselves in the conversation, but their odds were longer.

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Hyman likely had the best chance to make the roster at forward given his production since returning from injury. And, considering his chemistry with McDavid, an argument could have been made that this would have been a sound strategy.

Nugent-Hopkins was also a fit on a McDavid line, while also offering Team Canada the opportunity to use him on special teams. McDavid is a big advocate for Nuge, wanting him on the top line in Edmonton, when he might be just as well served on the third line at center.

Neither made it.

Evan Bouchard should have been a serious candidate for the blue line. His production this season is off the charts, second only to Cale Makar. With 37 points in 40 games, he’s a power-play whiz and a big-game player. His inconsistency struggles are legitimate, but when its all on the line, few are better than Bouchard.

Again, he wasn’t selected.

Was It a Mistake to Leave Every Other Oiler Off Team Canada?

It would have been hard to make an argument that someone who made the roster at forward should have been excluded. When you leave Connor Bedard and Sam Bennett off, you know there were difficult decisions made. That said, getting the most out of the players that were selected is important, too—namely, McDavid.

David Staples of The Edmonton Journal wrote,

“Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard were not picked for Team Canada, which is, frankly, a bad joke. Team Canada spent Four Nations tournament looking for the right linemate for McDavid and never did find that player. Why not go with the winger who has had more success than anyone with McDavid and was also the best forechecking winger in the 2025 playoffs until he got hurt?”

The one big difference this year is Macklin Celebrini. He could easily be slotted on a line with McDavid at the 2026 Olympics, and those two might explode for offense. Celebrini is arguably already a better player than either Hyman or Nugent-Hopkins. At this tournament, he’s an unknown.

The bigger argument might be on defense, where Team Canada went with the same group from 4 Nations. All eight defensemen are returning, and perhaps that wasn’t the strongest group Team Canada brass could have assembled.

Did Team Canada make a mistake? Or, did they get it right and while all three omitted Oilers are good players, not being selected was probably the right call. McDavid said, of the fact his teammates weren’t selected, “Obviously disappointed for the Oilers guys… Different year, different situation, obviously they could be on the team.” He added, “I think this team could have been built a number of different ways, and obviously, this is the way they decided to go with it.”

Next: Oilers Showcasing Forward with Draisaitl To Spark Trade Interest?